When We Were Young
by QuartzClaw
Summary: A collection of one-shots about May, Gary, Drew, Paul, Ash, Misty, Leaf and Dawn from when they were from grades kindergarten up. Fuller summary inside.
1. Making Friends

**Hello! QuartzClaw here! And this is my first fanfiction. **

**Usually in AUs, Ash, Misty, Gary, Leaf, May, Drew, Paul, and Dawn are in high school. So I thought why not make a fanfic of when they were in lower grades? I'm going to make a collection one-shots of when they were from grades kindergarten to... well, I don't know.  
**

**These are going to take place in May's school, so they're going to be more **centered ** around her. Not all of the characters are going to be in every one-shot, as not all of them were at the same school at the same time. Some characters will appear as new students in higher grades. These aren't in any specific order, so I'm going to write what grade each one-shot takes place in and which characters it includes at the top.  
**

**Okay, let's get started!**

**Disclaimer: I do not own Pokemon in any way, shape or size!**

* * *

**Making Friends**

**Kindergarten**

**May (age 5), Drew (5), Paul (5), Gary (5)**

It was May's first day in kindergarten. Her mother led her into a large classroom filled with many colours and pictures. Many children May's age, who had already arrived, were sitting around large round tables, while others were walking around, exploring the room.

"Hello. I'm Ms. Kelly, the teacher. Nice to meet you!" May looked up to see her mother conversing with a young woman, who looked like she was in her 20s.

"Hi, I'm Caroline, and this is my daughter, May Maple." May's mother introduced her to the woman.

"Hello, May! I know we are going to be great friends! See those tables? You can choose a table and sit anywhere you like." Ms. Kelly bent down to address the little girl.

May shyly smiled. She liked her teacher. She was very nice and pretty.

"Now, May run along and make friends. I'll be back to pick you in a while. Oh, look! There's a boy sitting alone on that table. Why don't you go say hi to him?" May looked at where her mother was pointing and saw a boy with spiky brown hair at one of the tables.

"Bye sweetie!" Her mother waved goodbye as she left.

"Bye Mommy!" Most little girls would be afraid to be left alone in a new place. But May knew her Mommy was going to come back soon. The classroom looked very interesting, and she wanted to explore it. First, she made her way to the boy her mother had pointed to and sat down beside him.

"Hello! I'm May." she greeted him. She was never afraid to meet new people. The boy looked at her, and smiled. But it wasn't a nice smile, it was a mean smile.

"I'm Gary. And I'm the king of this table! You can't sit here unless I say so!" He smirked at her surprised expression. "And I say you can't!"

May was shocked. "But Ms. Kelly said I can sit anywhere I want." she protested.

"Not here! So go somewhere else!"

May scowled. She did not want to sit next to this boy anymore, but she was stubborn. She wasn't used to not having her way, with her Daddy spoiling her the way he did. "No!"

It was Gary's turn to be surprised. He could always push around other kids. Why couldn't he tell her what to do? "I said go away!"

"No!"

"Okay class!" Ms. Kelly clapped her hands together, getting everyone's attention. "Now that everyone is here, please come and sit on this mat!" There was a large, square mat with a chair in front of it. The children from around the room sat down on it.

"Now, most of you don't know each other, so we are going to do introductions. Each one of you is going to stand up at the front and tell us your name and something about yourself. Now doesn't that sound like fun!" She sat down on the chair.

One by one, the children came up to the front. Some were very shy and needed a lot of encouragement from Ms. Kelly, while others were eager to share their names.

A boy with green hair walked up after a couple of people. "My name is Andrew Hayden." he announced proudly. Having such a long name made him feel bigger and important, despite his small size. "I have a huge house and lots of teachers!"

"No, Ms. Kelly is only one teacher!" someone yelled out.

Andrew looked a bit confused. This wasn't the reaction he expected. "No, I have lots of teachers at home."

"You can't keep teachers!" someone else pointed out, leading to many snickers from the others.

"Now, class." Ms. Kelly warned sternly. "What Andrew means is that he has many tutors. A tutor is a teacher who can teach you at home." she explained. She turned to the green-haired boy. "Very nice to meet you, Andrew. Now take a seat."

After a while, it was Gary's turn. "I'm Gary! I have a big sister, and my grandpa is a famous scientist, and I'm the king of the class! You have to do what I say!" he bragged.

"No, Gary, no one is the king of the class. In a classroom, you have to do what the teacher says." Ms. Kelly corrected, putting an end to the "No fair!"s emerging from the other students.

May went up next. "My name is May! I have a little brother who is two, a daddy, and a mommy. I love chocolate, and my favourite colour is red!" She smiled proudly as she concluded and went back to her seat.

After some time, everybody had gone, or so it seemed.

"Has everyone had a turn?" Ms. Kelly looked at all the students. "Now then,... wait! Paul, what about you?" she directed her question at a boy with purple hair who was sitting alone at the very back.

"I don't want to." he mumbled.

"Come on, don't be shy..."

"I'm not shy!" That got him to the front. But after that, he just silently observed his feet.

"So what's your name?" Ms. Kelly decided to start him off.

"You know my name." he muttered.

"But the class doesn't. Why don't you tell them?"

The boy briefly glanced up before muttering "Paul."

"Now tell us something about yourself."

"Like what?" He sounded moody.

"You just moved to town, right?"

"Yes..."

"So you're new here. Do you have any brothers or sisters?"

"One brother."

"Yes, you have a big brother, don't you? Okay, you can sit down if you want." Paul was more than happy to.

"Now then, I want all of you to pick a table to sit at. Only four at each table, okay?" the teacher instructed.

The class was instantly filled with activity as everyone rushed to sit beside their new friends or at a spot they liked. Gary went back to the table he was sitting at first, and May stubbornly did too. Naturally, they got into a little argument about their sitting rights.

Andrew looked around uncertainly. He was an only child, and didn't get to meet with others his age often, so he had been really looking forward to making friends at his new school. But he did not know anyone here, and he was not sure where to start.

A table with only two others caught his eye. One of its occupants was a boy who looked a little mean, but the other was a friendly-looking girl. He was going to be friends with that girl, he decided. He took the seat next to her.

"Hello. I'm Andrew." he told her. He had always been taught politeness. It seemed the girl had just finished talking to the other boy about something. She turned to face him, and went from pouting at the other boy to beaming at Andrew.

"Hello Drew! My name is May!" This caused Andrew to frown a little.

"My name is Andrew." he corrected her.

"It's too long!" May complained.

"Paul, why don't you sit over here?" Ms. Kelly led the grumpy purple-head to the table. "You can sit with Andrew, May, and Gary."

"I don't want to."

"Paul, all the other tables are full, and you have to sit somewhere." Ms. Kelly told him a bit sternly. Paul begrudgingly took the last seat at the table.

"Okay class!" Ms. Kelly got everyone's attention. "For today, I'm going to hand out paper and a box of crayons to each table. I want everyone to draw a picture of something they like. It can be anything you want!"

As she handed out the paper and crayons, many of the students began discussing what they were going to draw.

"I'm going to make my house." Andrew said eagerly.

Gary only slouched with his arms folded, because his mood had been ruined by May's not doing what he said. Paul stayed quiet as well, until he noticed May staring at him.

"What?" he demanded.

"I'm going to make your hair!" May announced unexpectedly. "It's so pretty!"

Paul was taken aback. "What! My hair is not pretty!" he protested as if she had insulted him.

"Yes it is!" May giggled.

"No, it's not! It's normal hair!"

"It's pretty, purple hair!" May leaned over the table to ruffle it up. Paul swatted her hand away.

"No, you can't make my hair!" It was _his_ hair; he didn't allow her to draw it!

"Ms. Kelly said it can be anything we like, and I like your hair." she said in a final sort of way.

"My hair is nice too..." Andrew felt a bit left out. All of his nannies adored his hair, but it did not look like May did.

When the paper arrived, May and Andrew reached for the crayon box. It seemed, however, that Gary had snapped out of his moody state once he saw another chance to bully the others. He quickly grabbed to box and put it on his lap, having it all to himself.

"Gary, I want a purple crayon!" May whined.

Andrew looked serious. "You have to share."

"No." Gary was enjoying his little revenge.

"Ms. Kelly! Gary won't share!" May complained. The teacher arrived at the scene.

"Gary, please put the box in the middle of the table." she said sternly. When Gary looked reluctant, she added, "Or else you will have a time out!" This seemed to do the trick.

"What's a 'time out'?" May was curious.

"When someone is being naughty, or is not listening to the teacher, they have to sit alone in the corner and think about what they did wrong." Ms. Kelly explained.

May shuddered. It sounded scary, especially to someone who loved being in a group. She did not want to end up in the time out corner.

Soon, everyone was colouring. Well, almost everyone, anyways.

"What are you drawing, Gary?" May chirped as her purple crayon went back and forth on her page.

"My grandpa!" Gary answered, no longer attempting to hog the crayons.

"What about you, Drew?"

"My name is Andrew!" he corrected once again before answering, "I'm drawing my house."

"Paul," May frowned. "Why aren't you making anything."

"I don't want to." Paul's sheet was blank.

"Why?"

"I just don't!"

"Maybe you can draw your big brother." Andrew suggested. He felt a bit jealous of the other three because they had siblings, but not jealous enough to have any negative feelings toward them.

Paul seemed to consider the idea. Then, slowly, he reached for a crayon and got to work.

"My, what wonderful pictures you all drew!" Ms. Kelly complimented the class when everyone was done. Her students beamed at the praise.

"Can we take them home?" someone asked.

"Why, of course you can!" Ms. Kelly assured.

May was delighted. She loved kindergarten, she loved Ms. Kelly, and she loved her new friends. She would tell her Mommy all about it when she got home.

* * *

"May, your mom's here!" Ms. Kelly called out. Everyone's parents were now coming to pick them up. May frowned. She didn't want to go just yet; her friends were still here, and she wanted to spend some more time with them.

"May, we have to go." Caroline walked up to her daughter. "Oh, you made some friends?" she said, noting the other three. "That's great, sweetie! But we have to go now. You can meet them again tomorrow. Now, say bye to them!"

May smiled at the thought of meeting them again the next day. And then the next, and the next, and for the whole school year!

"Bye bye, Gary! Bye bye, Paul! Bye bye..." She hesitating before continuing. "An-drew."

Andrew thought for a second. "You can call me Drew if you want."

May beamed. And off she went with her mother, telling her all about her day, and especially about her new "bestest friends in the world".

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**And that's that! Tell me what you thought in your reviews. I accept both negative and positive criticisms.  
**

**I have a couple of ideas for future chapters, but not many. You can tell me if you have any suggestions.**

**I'm not completely sure about when I'm going to update. I'll try at least once a week, but it also depends on how many ideas I can think up. I'll tell you if I ever come up with a schedule.**

**Bye bye for now! And have a smiling day! :)**


	2. Beautiful Hair

**Hello again! This is the second one-shot I'm doing. I was so happy with the results for the first one! I got a couple reviews, and they were enough to motivate me to write on and update as soon as possible.  
**

**They're still in kindergarten in this one. Maybe I'll do a different grade next time...**

**Anyways, let's get started!**

**Disclaimer: I do not own Pokemon in any way, shape or size!**

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**Beautiful Hair  
**

**Kindergarten**

**May (5), Drew (5), Gary (5), Paul (5)**

May loved the colour purple. It wasn't her favourite colour (red was), but she still loved it. Her mother's eyes were blue, but they had a slight purple tinge to them, which was why she wore amethyst jewelry. May thought her Mommy's jewelry was the most beautiful she had ever seen.

This was also why May liked her friend Paul's hair. She thought his violet hair was the prettiest in the world from the moment she saw it. It made her want to have special hair too.

She was delighted on the day her mother sewed her a red bandana. Caroline had been doing some sewing, and had a small piece of red cloth left. It was too small to make clothes, but perfect for some head-wear for her little daughter.

May wore her new bandana on her head the next day to kindergarten. She held her head up high, hoping everyone would notice.

"My, what a beautiful bandana you are wearing!" Ms. Kelly, her teacher, complimented her.

"Thank you." said May proudly, not forgetting her manners.

She sat at the table she usually sat at, with her friends Gary, Drew, and Paul.

"That's a nice hat." Drew noted.

"It's a band-na. Mommy made it for me!" May explained. She look over at Paul. "See, Paul? Now I have pretty hair, too!"

"You don't have pretty hair. It's just a hat!" Gary pointed out, causing May to pout.

"It's a band-na! And it's like hair!" May was not going to let Gary ruin her mood today. She turned back to Paul, hoping to get a reaction.

Paul noticed her gaze. "What?"

"Do you like my new hair?"

"...I don't see anything different." Honestly speaking, Paul thought it was a very nice bandana, but he didn't like giving compliments.

When May looked downhearted, Drew spoke up. "I think your new hair is _gorgeous_!" He used the big word his nannies used to describe his hair. He wasn't sure what it exactly meant, but it always sounded like a good thing.

May looked a little better.

* * *

When recess time came, everybody went to the playground outside. Gary immediately went to the top of the biggest slide and began yelling that he was the king of the playground. Paul sat alone on the bench as usual. He never wanted to play. May went up to him.

"Do you notice _anything_ different?" she asked hopefully. This time, she had made sure her bandana was visible by checking the mirror in the washroom.

"Nope." Leading to a crushed May.

Drew watched the scene. He didn't get it! There was nothing special about Paul's hair; his green hair was just as nice. He boldly walked over to his two friends.

"Hi, May!" He flipped his hair to get her to notice it.

"Hi Drew." She acknowledged his presence, but not his hair. She turned back to her other friend. "Paul, are you sure?"

Drew flipped his hair another time, but once again, failed to get May's attention.

Suddenly, he felt frustrated. Without thinking, he snatched her bandana off her head and took off. May was startled. It took her a second before she realized what happened, and she started to chase after him.

"Drew, give it back!" But Drew didn't listen. He ran as fast as he could until he was out of breath. He stopped beside a rosebush that was a short distance away from the playground.

"Drew!" May had caught up, huffing and puffing, and with a very angry look on her face. "Give it back!" She tried to take back her possession.

Drew, being too tired to run anymore, held it out of her reach. In an attempt to grab it, May stumbled and fell on the ground.

"Owww..." she whimpered as a tiny speck of red appeared on her knee. Drew immediately felt ashamed, and handed back her bandana. But it was too late.

Drew panicked when he saw tears welling up in May's eyes. He hadn't meant for her to get hurt, and he was really sorry. Now she was going to cry, and he would get in trouble. Would Ms. Kelly put him in the time out corner?

Something caught his eye. The bush beside him was covered in bright, red roses! He knew what to do.

He plucked the most beautiful rose he could see. It was covered in thorns, which scratched his hands, and he knew that they would probably hurt May too. He got to work removing the thorns from the stem the best he could before handing the flower to May.

May squealed as she took it, the small cut on her knee forgotten. Drew felt a sense of accomplishment. Even though his hands hurt now, he had managed to prevent May from crying. It was the most heroic thing he ever did.

"May? Drew? What are you two doing all the way here?" Ms. Kelly had noticed their absence and had come searching for them. When she saw the state they were in, she gasped. "Oh dear! May, what happened to your knee? And Drew, your hands!"

May giggled. "Drew gave me a flower!"

"That was sweet of you, Drew, but next time, try getting a flower without thorns!" She quickly took both of her students indoors to clean up their "injuries".

* * *

The four friends sat at their table, waiting for their parents to come pick them up. May's bandana had been re-placed on her head with the help of Ms. Kelly. She now also had a band-aid on her knee, while Drew had multiple on his hands.

May twirled the red rose that Drew had given her. She had made sure to take good care of the pretty little gift.

"Drew?" Drew looked up at her. "Can you put this flower in my band-na?" Drew happily complied, tucking the stem into the side of the red cloth. May smiled widely when he was done.

She had, no doubt, the most beautiful hair in the world.

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**Second one complete! **

**So like I said before, I might do a different grade next time. ****Oh, and if you have any ideas on future one-shots, feel free to share them.**

**Bye bye for now! Have a smiling day! :)**


	3. My Bike!

**Yay! I'm so happy with my great reviews! It makes me want to write more and more! Still no update schedule, but I have some good ideas for one-shots, and I feel like writing everyday. That positive feedback from you guys has really got me motivated, so thanks!**

**Now let's move on!**

**Disclaimer: I do not own Pokemon in any way, shape or size!**

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**My Bike!**

**(Almost) Grade Two  
**

**May (7), Ash (7), Misty (7)**

It was a warm August day, perfect for spending time at the park. And that was exactly where May was going right now.

After a long day of shopping, Caroline decided to take her daughter to the park for a while as a reward for good behaviour. Of course, May was more than pleased.

The minute she stepped out of the car, May dashed to the playground up ahead. Ah, it was so nice to finally be released from that shopping mall-prison! May had been starting to feel claustrophobic.

"Hey, May!" The girl turned around to see a familiar boy wearing a baseball cap making his way to her. It was Ash, a new friend she had made at the start of grade one.

"Ash, you're here too?" This was great! Not only did she get to play at the park, but she could with one of her best friends.

"Yup! My house is pretty close to here, so I come here all the time." Ash said, pointing at one of the houses across the road.

"You're so lucky! There aren't any parks around my house."

Ash grinned. "Well, since we're both here, wanna go play? My mom said I should have invited Gary so I can have playmate, but, you know, he's not the best to have fun with."

May understood. She knew too well how Gary became on the playground. Bossy, mean, and always making you do what he said. Gary's and Ash's parents were friends, so the two boys already knew each other before Ash switched to her school. And they did _not_ get along. That hadn't stopped May from making Ash her new friend, though.

They spent the next ten minutes running around playing tag, while their mothers got acquainted. But after a while, May noticed something interesting.

"Tag! You're it!" Ash tagged her as he ran past. He continued running for a few seconds before realizing that he was not being chased. He turned around to see that his friend hadn't budged from her place.

"May!" he called out. He didn't dare come close. It could be a trick to get him tagged. But May didn't respond, and instead stared the other way. Ash slowly approached her, as he was getting bored waiting.

"Whose that?" Once he was right next to her, she pointed at someone. He followed her gaze and saw who she was looking at.

"Oh that? That's Misty." Ash informed her. "She moved here in my neighbourhood last month. She's pretty cool. Much better to play with than Gary. I think she might start the same school as us."

May observed the new girl. She looked about her age, had orange hair tied in a side ponytail, and was riding a shiny blue bike. Upon more careful examination, May discovered something fascinating.

Misty was riding her bike _without training wheels!_

May admired how she balanced on the two-wheeler, how she turned to move around obstacles, how her bicycle glistened in the sunlight...

"It's a pretty cool bike, right?" Ash said dreamily. "I'm gonna ask my mom to get me one like that for my birthday."

Misty stopped pedaling after a while, and parked her bicycle beside an empty bench.

"Daisy!" she called out to a teenage girl who was chatting with her friend under the shade of a tree. "Do you have my water-bottle?"

"Yeah, like, it's right here!" Daisy called back.

"Can you give it to me? I'm thirsty!"

"Misty, I'm, like, busy right now! Come get it yourself!" Misty scowled as she raced over to her sister to get a drink.

Meanwhile, May and Ash were still standing in place, staring at where Misty had left her bike. It was like it was taunting them, daring them to come closer to have a look. Eventually, Ash gave in. He began walking toward it so he could have a quick look before its owner returned.

"Ash, you shouldn't touch it without asking!" May knew how annoying it was when someone took something without permission. Her little brother Max did it all the time.

"I'm not gonna, I just want to see it." Ash explained. May cautiously came closer, but not as close as her friend.

"Ash!" she called worriedly in a loud whisper.

"Don't worry, May." he assured her. He regarded the bike with adoration. The shiny blue bike, its black seat at his level...

The temptation was too strong. Ash grabbed the handlebars and swung his leg over the seat so that he was now sitting on it.

"Ash, what are you doing! You said you wouldn't touch it!"

"Relax, May. I'm Misty's _friend_. She probably won't mind if I rode it for a little while."

"Are you sure?" May sounded dubious.

"Positive."

"Do you know how to ride without training wheels?"

"Of course I do, almost. My mom was saying she should take off the training wheels so I can practise riding by myself."

"What if you fall? Your mom isn't even watching."

"I won't fall." Ash said confidently. May ran out of arguments, so she settled with watching him nervously.

Ash sat up straight, put his foot on the pedal, and was about to take off, when-

"Hey! What are you doing!" Misty had returned. Her voice startled Ash, and he quickly jumped off, causing the bicycle to fall down onto the pavement.

May let out a squeak before covering her mouth with both her hands. Misty was going to get so angry! Ash seemed to realize this too.

"S-sorry! I-I was just..." he stammered. But the ginger didn't let him finish.

"My new bike! Ash, I never said you could touch it!" Misty bent over to pick it up and observe the damage. "It's ruined! My brand-new bike is ruined!" she hollered.

"I'm sorry, Mist. Really!" Misty got up and glared at him, clearly not forgiving him that easily.

"You have to get me a new one!" she demanded.

"What? It was an accident!" The poor boy was now wishing he had listened to May.

"I don't care! It was brand-new, and you ruined it!"

"Like, Misty, what are you shouting about?" Daisy appeared, attracted by the noise.

"He ruined my bike!" Misty accused, pointing at Ash.

"I'm sorry!" Ash apologized yet again.

Daisy sighed and took a look at the damage.

"Misty, like, is _this_ what you're whining about? It's just a scratch. It'll, like, still work and stuff."

"But it was new...!"

"Yeah, well, all bikes get scratched. It can't, like, stay new forever. Anyways, it's, like, time to go." Daisy managed to end her sister's complaints. She did not, however, improve her mood.

"You still have to get me a new bike." Misty muttered to Ash as she passed by him. Soon, she, her bike, and her sister were out of sight.

"She's kinda scary." May commented quietly.

"Nah, she's pretty fun when she's not angry." Ash explained. He still looked a bit shaken up from the scolding she had given him.

"Is she really going to go to the same school as us?" May asked hesitantly.

"I think so." Ash confirmed. "I think she will be in grade two too."

May stayed silent for a minute, debating whether Misty would make a good classmate or not. When she didn't get an answer from her pondering, she walked up to Ash. He looked at her.

"What is it?" he asked.

May lifted her hand, and suddenly gave him a pat on his arm.

"Tag, you're it!" Ash stood there stunned for a moment as he watched his friend run away from him. He began to remember what they had been doing before Misty had come along.

"No fair!" he yelled as he went after her, continuing their game.

* * *

**So this one's for Ash and Misty. I have my next one thought out too, so all I have to do is write it out.**

**Anyways, thanks for reading!**

**Bye bye for now! Have a smiling day! :)**


	4. Picture Perfect

**Hello, and welcome back! I'm getting so many great reviews, not to mention the follows and favs. It makes me feel sooo successful! Thanks everyone!  
**

**Disclaimer: I do not own Pokemon in any way, shape or size!**

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**Picture Perfect**

**Grade Three  
**

**May (8), Drew (8), Gary (9), Paul (9), Ash (9), Misty (9), Dawn (8)**

Today was class photo day, and May, along with the other girls in her class, was in the washroom, making sure she was looking her best.

May checked her bandana to make sure it was straight. Beside her, Misty was re-doing her side ponytail. Slowly, as the girls finished, they began heading out the door to rejoin the class. May was about to leave too, but then she noticed that someone was not done. Dawn was still fixing her hair.

Dawn was new that year, and May and the others had accepted her as part of their friend group. The school year was close to being over (less than three months left!), and they were really building up their friendship. May thought it would build up even more if she waited for her instead of leaving.

"You can go." May told her friend Misty, gesturing to Dawn with her head. "I'll catch up." Misty, understanding what she meant, nodded and left.

Soon, Dawn and May were the only ones left in the washroom.

"Hurry up, Dawn!" May urged. "They're going to leave without us."

"No need to worry, I'm almost done!" Dawn, who had a brush with her, gave her hair a few more strokes. "My hair just needs a little more brushing."

"It already looks fine!" May insisted.

"Just fine? It needs to look perfect! Class photos are so everyone can keep a picture of their class and remember everybody else. We're probably going to keep this picture forever, so I want to be at my best!"

"But you already look great. And if you don't hurry up, we might not even be in the picture!"

Dawn sighed, finally giving in. After a final few strokes, and posing in the mirror, she was ready to go. The two girls exited the washroom and followed the rest of their class to the assembly hall, where the class photos were taking place.

"Everyone's looking great!" Dawn whispered to May as they walked. "I can tell Drew really cleaned up for today. He's always pretty neat and tidy, but today he looks extra well-dressed. Even Misty's wearing nicer clothes than usual, instead of her usually sporty outfit. Gary's hair is extra spiky today! He probably took hours doing it. How to you think he makes it like that? Looks like Ash's mom might have forced him into those clothes; I know he would never wear them himself."

May listened as Dawn chattered away. In the time she had known her, she had discovered Dawn loved to chat and look her best, especially when it came to her hair. Kind of reminded May of a "hair phase" she herself went through in kindergarten. Now, why was it that she had become obsessed with her hair back then?

"May, look!" Dawn whispered, sounding a bit furious, as if some big injustice had been made. "Paul hasn't gotten ready for today at all! He's wearing his plain-old everyday clothes. And did he even _try_ to brush his hair?"

May glanced up ahead to see Paul. He was within hearing distance, and May hoped he hadn't overheard what Dawn had just said. But the increased scowl on his face showed that he had, and May felt a bit guilty.

Soon, the photographer was arranging the students for the picture. A very uncomfortable-looking Ash (because of his neat, but tight clothes) was put on the front bench, as were Dawn, May, and a very handsome-looking Drew.

Drew had evidently taken extra time to get ready that morning. He was wearing a dress-suit with a tie, and his hair had been combed well. He had resisted the temptation to flip it all day, just so he wouldn't mess up the good job his hairdressers did. He wasn't sure why he always flipped it; it was just a habit.

Gary, Misty, and Paul were made to stand in the back row, since they were taller. Like Dawn had pointed out, Gary's hair was done better than usual, and he was wearing brand new clothes, courtesy of his older sister, Daisy.

While Misty was not wearing a dress or anything frilly, her clothes were very nice on her. They consisted of a blue shirt with a little bit of sequence, and new jeans that did not look roughed up, as the jeans Misty usually wore did.

But Paul? He wore the clothes he always did. Dawn, who was sitting in front of him, turned around to face him.

"Did you forget today was picture day?" she asked sympathetically. _Maybe his mom didn't know he had to get extra-ready for today. _she thought.

Paul glared in return. He didn't forget, he just never bothered about it. He did not want anyone feeling sorry for him!

"Okay everyone, smile!" Dawn faced the front again, and smiled directly at the camera. She looked perfect; this picture was going to be really special!

"Okay, on three! One..."

Dawn's nose began to twitch. No, she couldn't sneeze now!

"Two..."

She tried her best to hold it down, but it was too difficult.

"And three!"

"ACHOO!"

Snap!

* * *

Later, on the walk back, May and Misty were trying to make Dawn feel better about the unfortunate event.

"Maybe he took the picture after you sneezed." Misty said.

"And he took three pictures. Maybe he'll choose one of the other pictures instead." May pointed out, even though it was unlikely. Dawn's sneeze had been a big distraction, so many of the students were looking the wrong way on the second and third time.

Dawn smiled shakily. "Y-yeah! N-no need to worry!"

* * *

The day came for the class to receive their class photos. The teacher handed out the pictures at the start of recess. Many of the students, after observing it, glanced in Dawn's direction and snickered.

When said girl decided to see how it had turned out, her heart fell. Everyone in the picture looked so nice, smiling and all. Even Paul managed to erase some of his usual scowl to look decent.

But Dawn was a different story. The camera had caught her right in mid-sneeze. Her head was tilted back, her eyes closed, and her mouth open. She did not look nice at all!

"Sneezy Dee-Dee! Sneezy Dee-Dee!" someone yelled, pointing at the poor girl.

"Sneezy Dee-Dee! Sneezy Dee-Dee!" Others joined in. Tears began to well up in Dawn's eyes.

"Stop it! Leave her alone!" May stood up for her friend, but no one listened to her.

"Didn't you hear her? She said stop it!" Misty shouted, with far more success.

Dawn's friends huddled around to comfort her.

"It isn't too bad. Everyone will forget about it later." May attempted to convince her.

"And we will be taking a lot of other pictures next year and the years after. You can just look extra good next time to make up for this one." Drew suggested.

"Act like you don't care. The others will stop bothering you that way." Misty advised.

"You can't even tell that it's you. Even if someone does keep it, they'll forget who it was, so it's not like they will bug you about it forever." Gary joked.

"Yeah, like you say, no need to worry!" Ash put in.

Dawn started to feel a little better, until Paul decided to voice his opinion.

"It's so ugly!" he said, grinning broadly. "I'm gonna keep it for the rest of my life and write your name on it so I won't forget it's you!"

Dawn burst into tears and ran from the room. The other five glared at their friend.

"What?" Paul did not feel sorry at all.

"That was mean, Paul. Go apologize!" May ordered.

"I was just being honest, unlike you guys. It's not _my_ fault she's such a cry-baby!" he tried to justify. But the others wouldn't have it.

When they went outside, Gary ran to the playground as usual, not really caring about what had just happened. Paul used to sit alone when he was younger, but he later discovered that he liked being around his friends too. Not that he'll ever admit that. But today, May, Misty, Drew, and even Ash turned their backs on him.

"We're not playing with you until you go find Dawn and say sorry!" Misty declared.

Paul was surprised, but quickly switched to being angry. "Fine! I don't care!" He stomped off.

He was not going to apologize to anyone! Dawn started it; she was making fun of him before the picture (it had sounded like that to him anyways). It was _her_ fault she let what he said upset her. His older brother teased him all the time, but _he_ never ran away crying.

"Sneezy Dee-Dee! Sneezy Dee-Dee!" Up ahead, Paul saw a couple of kids from his class continuing the chant from earlier. They were standing around someone who was sitting on the ground against a tree.

Dawn was hugging her knees with her face down, trying her best to follow Misty's advice. So far, it was not working, and only upsetting her further.

Paul felt a twinge of annoyance. They always teased each other in his group of friends; it was normal. But Dawn was a part of the group too, now, and he didn't like seeing other kids making fun of her the way they were.

"Go away!" He marched up behind them, startling them. "I said go away!" he shouted again, with an intimidating glare. They cleared out, frightened of the boy.

Dawn didn't look up, and Paul was left standing awkwardly in front of her. He was unsure of what to do, but something told him he shouldn't leave. After a short silence, Dawn peeked at him.

"What do you want?" she asked, glumly.

"Nothing..." He rocked back and forth on his feet a little. There was another silence, but it was much shorter this time.

"Are you really going to keep that picture?"

Paul considered her question for a moment before answering. "Yes."

Dawn let out a groan and hid her face again, but he continued.

"I like remembering my friends from school, and this year was special because I made a new one. It would be too boring to have an every-day picture for that. So, it's nice to have a different kind of picture this year. But the good kind of different."

Dawn looked up. "Am I really your friend?" she asked hopefully, sounding happier after hearing his explanation.

Paul didn't like admitting these kinds of things, but he knew the others wouldn't talk to him until Dawn was happy again. "...Yes."

The little girl's face shone as she got up.

Later, at home, she set her class photo on her desk. She and Paul didn't look their best that day, but they were perfect for the picture.

* * *

**It was Dawn's turn today. My next one should have Leaf make her debut. Hmmm, I like writing about when they were in kindergarten the most so far. It's fun making them cute five-year-olds.  
**

**Thanks for reading!**

**Bye bye! And have a smiling day! :)  
**


	5. Birthday Party

**A hello to all readers! My fifth one-shot is done and ready for reading. Hope you enjoy!**

**Disclaimer: I do not own Pokemon in any way, shape or size.**

* * *

**Birthday Party  
**

**Kindergarten**

**May (5), Drew (5), Paul (6), Gary (6), Ash (5), Leaf (5)  
**

May looked around in delight. It was Gary's sixth birthday, and she, along with the rest of her kindergarten class, had been invited to his house for a party. It would be her first time being at a party without her Mommy around. Paul already had his birthday, but he didn't have a party for some reason.

"Hi May." Gary ran up to her, wearing a shirt that said 'I Come First!' on the front. He eyed the gift bag her mother was holding. "Whatcha get me?"

"It's a surprise~!" May sang.

"Hello! You must be May's mom." A girl, who looked like she was in her early teens, greeted Caroline.

"Daisy!" Gary looked at the girl, pointing at the gift May had brought. "Put that with my other presents!"

"Gary!" Daisy scolded. But he had already grabbed May's hand and was dragging her away with him.

"Slow down!" May protested until they finally stopped.

"Look!" He pointed at a large pile of gift boxes and gift bags. "Those are all for me!" he explained, grinning at his friend's wide eyes.

May regarded the presents enviously. She would invite the whole class to her birthday party too, she decided.

"May, you're here!" Drew emerged from the crowd and made his way over to them. "You're not wearing your band-na." he noted.

May had her hair in two pigtails, tied with red ribbons that matched her red dress. But her beloved bandana had not been forgotten.

"It's right here." She held up her hand to show him the red cloth tied around her wrist. "It's a bracelet today!"

"Oh." Drew seemed to comprehend her logic.

"Look at what Drew got me!" Gary showed-off a particularly large gift box.

"Wow..." May admired.

"Gary, your friend is here!" Daisy called her little brother, who looked confused.

May and Drew followed him to the door. A scowling Paul was standing there, with an older boy, who looked Daisy's age, behind him. Paul's scowl became bigger when he saw them arrive.

"You said you weren't coming!" Gary accused him. The day when Gary was handing out the invitations, Paul had announced that he won't come because he didn't like parties. This had led to a huge argument between the two, because Gary felt insulted that one of his best friends didn't want to come.

"My brother made me." Paul grumbled.

Paul's brother, who had a much more friendly face and his hair tied back, was in a conversation with Daisy.

"Reggie! Didn't expect you to be here. You're Paul's brother? Gary was going on and on about how his friend said he wasn't coming!"

"Yah, Paul's not really social, but I thought it would be good for him. Oh, and by the way, did you finish your math homework?"

"No, not yet. I was thinking of doing it tomorrow on Sunday. Why?"

"I will only say this: watch out for number ten."

"Thanks for the tip. Anyways, bye now!"

"Bye Daisy. And bye Paul. Have fun, little bro!" Paul didn't wave back.

"Wait!" Gary broke off his glaring contest with Paul when he remembered something. "You all have to meet my bestest friend!" He led the three to the family room.

May and Drew looked at each other. "I thought _we_ were his bestest friends..." May mused.

They stopped in front of two people May did not recognize, as they were not from her class. One was a girl with brown hair and green eyes, while the other was a boy with black hair and brown eyes. Gary introduced them to the girl.

"This is Leafy." he presented. "She lives in the house beside me. Leafy, this is May, Drew, and... Paul." He said Paul's name a bit less enthusiastically, probably because he was still a bit mad at him.

"Hi, Leafy!" May greeted cheerfully. Leafy giggled.

"My name is Leaf." she corrected. May frowned a bit.

"But Gary said-"

"He calls me 'Leafy' 'cause it sounds more like 'Gary'." she explained. That made sense to May.

"Hi Leaf. I'm Drew." Drew greeted her too. "Gary," he then addressed his friend in a serious tone. "You said _we_ were your bestest friends. But now you're saying _she_ is."

"She's my _first_ bestest friend. You're my bestest friends from kindergarten." Gary informed him.

"Who are you?" May asked curiously as she noticed the black-haired boy. He smiled at her.

"My name is Ash!" he said, his voice just as cheerful as May's.

"Are you Gary's friend too?" Drew asked curiously. Gary scowled.

"No! I didn't want Ash-boy to come. Grandpa made me invite him!" Ash looked a bit upset.

"'Leafy' doesn't sound like 'Gary'." Paul spoke up suddenly.

"Yes it does!" Gary insisted.

"No it doesn't." Paul was adamant in his opinion.

"Yes it does!" the brunet argued. He was already annoyed at Paul. Now, he was even angrier at him.

"Everyone, it's time for games!" Daisy announced, having pretty good control over the little kids. Everybody gathered in the family room, where Daisy and an elderly man were arranging chairs in the middle of the room.

"Who's that old man?" May whispered loudly to Gary. Gary looked too annoyed at Paul to answer, so Leaf did for him.

"He's Gary's grandpa." she explained. "Don't worry, he's really nice. He doesn't take naps, so you don't have to be quiet all the time. And he doesn't tell you to stop watching TV and go outside." She thought he was much more fun than her own grandpa.

The first game they played was musical chairs. Despite Paul's reluctance to play, he joined in because Gary started bragging about how he always won. The music started, and everyone began going around the chairs. The group playing became smaller and smaller as more and more people failed to get a seat after the music ended.

May thought she was doing very well, until part-way through the game, her bandana-bracelet slipped off her wrist. She was too busy picking it up to notice that the music had stopped and someone took her seat. She was fine with cheering from the sidelines though.

"Go Drew, go Gary, go Paul!" she cheered, unable to decide who she wanted to win. Drew, unfortunately, lost because Leaf had quickly stolen his seat.

"Sorry Drew!" she said in a sing-song voice. "But I always win this game!"

Paul faced Gary, smirking. "You said _you_ always win this game."

"I do!" Gary insisted. But the music had begun again and his friend had already moved on ahead.

After a while, it became evident that neither Gary nor Leaf were lying when they said that they were good at musical chairs, although the champion had yet to be determined. There were only two chairs left, and the finalists were Gary, Leaf, and, surprisingly, Paul. He probably really didn't want to lose to Gary.

The music started, and the three began circling the chairs. Once it ended, Paul managed to sit down first, as he was right beside a seat. Leaf and Gary both dove for the last one, though Leaf got there first. She sat proudly on her throne, swinging her legs, and sticking her tongue out at her shocked friend.

"No fair!" Gary yelled. "I was going to sit there!"

"But I got here first." Leaf pointed out.

"But it's my birthday!" he hollered.

Paul looked amused at his tantrum, and decided to make it worse. "I thought you said you _always_ win."

This caused Gary to start screaming that Leaf had cheated, although she clearly hadn't. Paul smirked, satisfied with his reaction.

"Gary, do you need a time-out?" Daisy became stern.

May gasped. They had time-outs here, too? No wonder Gary had already known what a time-out was before Ms. Kelly had explained it.

Gary stopped screaming and sulked. "But it's my birthday!" he whined.

"Well, you don't want a time-out on your birthday, do you?" Daisy made her point. Her brother went to one of the couches and slumped down on it after shoving off Ash, who had previously been its occupant.

The music resumed. May cheered Paul on, but she cheered a bit too much, in Drew's opinion. He unconsciously flipped his hair.

In the end, Leaf, being quick on her feet, won. Her opponent didn't look the least bit disappointed, as he had immensely enjoyed getting past Gary, and then watching him get upset.

They continued on with games for a while. To Gary's dismay, Paul refused to join in anymore, as he had seen that Gary's bragging was all just talk, and did not feel the need to prove him wrong again. Gary threw another tantrum, trying to get him to change his mind, until Daisy jumped in. His hopes of getting his revenge against Paul were shattered.

* * *

Soon, it was time for cake. The youngsters all gathered in the dining room, where a large chocolate cake was waiting on the table. It was covered in white cream, with 'Happy Birthday Gary!' written on in green icing. Gary's grandpa lit its six candles. Everyone sang 'Happy Birthday' as the birthday-boy glowed with the amount of attention he was receiving. Even Paul mumbled along, after receiving a hard nudge from Drew.

After the candles had been blown out, Gary's grandpa cut slices of cake and put them in plates. Daisy was about to hand them out, when her brother asked if he could.

Gary held a plate in his hands and looked to see who was first in line. An eager Ash reached for the dessert.

"Thank you!" he said, but only to get a sneer in return.

"No, you have to go to the back of the line."

"Why?" Ash was confused.

"Because it's my birthday and I said so." Daisy and Gary's grandpa were working on cutting the cake, so they didn't notice. The poor boy had to obey.

"Leafy!" Gary called out. "This is for you, 'cause you're my bestest friend." Leaf happily took the first piece.

Gary handed out the next plates to May and Drew before hesitating with Paul. He was still angry at him, but he was his friend. Should he give him some, or send him to the back like Ash? Before he could decide, Paul spoke up.

"I don't want any."

Gary had had enough. Paul had offended him enough times already; he was _not_ going to let himself get insulted again.

"No, you have to have my birthday cake!" He tried to hand over the plate, but failed.

"No, it's too sweet. I don't like it." Paul eyed it with disgust.

"You have to! It's my birthday!" Gary began raising his voice as he shoved it at his friend.

"No!"

"Gary, what is it now?" Daisy had noticed the commotion and appeared, sounding tired.

"He won't have my birthday cake!"

"I don't want it!"

"Gary, if Paul doesn't want any cake, he doesn't have to have it."

Paul smirked triumphantly. Gary was frustrated.

"I'm never going to invite you to my birthday party again!" he declared.

"Good. I don't want to come." Paul stuck his nose in the air. This only infuriated the boy further, as it was not the reaction he had expected.

"Umm, if Paul doesn't want his piece, can I have it?" May asked timidly. _She_ liked chocolate cake, even if her friend didn't. With all the commotion going on, this went unheard.

"Ash, why are you at the back?" Daisy asked when she saw the black-haired boy.

"Gary said I have to go to the back of the line." Ash explained glumly.

Daisy let out an exasperated sigh. This was turning out to be much more tiring than it usually did.

"You know, maybe _I_ should be the one to hand out the cake..."

* * *

It was time for Gary's favourite part of the party. Opening presents! He threw wrapping paper off new toys, games, and clothes very enthusiastically, although he wasn't afraid to show some displeasure at receiving clothes. Fortunately, Daisy's gaze kept his complaining at a minimum. He opened his friends' gifts last.

"Wow!" He uncovered a collection of many different board games from the gift box Drew had brought. He wasn't really the type of kid to sit down and do something quietly, but receiving so many things in one box felt better than getting just one.

"Say 'thank you'." his sister reminded him.

"Thanks, Drew!" he said without looking at him. Instead he turned to face Leaf. "You can come over to play with my new toys tomorrow." Gary didn't often share, but he always did with Leaf. They had known each other since they were babies, after all. Leaf sat up proudly, feeling lucky to be his next-door neighbour.

Next came May's present. Gary marveled at the car racetrack set she had brought. Next, he opened a big red remote-control car from Paul, and, finally, a huge sticker book from Leaf, filled with hundreds of different colourful stickers.

"Thank you everyone!" Gary said out loud, after his sister once again reminded him to. He seemed more interested in his new toys, though.

It was then that Paul stood up and walked over the the birthday-boy. Daisy noticed a glint in his eyes as he smirked, and decided to keep an eye at them.

"Now I have to give you _my_ present." he said mysteriously.

"Gary already opened your present." Daisy pointed out, confused.

"My brother made me get that." Paul explained. "But this is what I _really_ wanted to give you."

"Oh no, you don't have to-" Daisy was cut off by her brother, who sounded both eager at getting another gift and suspicious at Paul's sudden niceness.

"What are you gonna give me?" he questioned.

Paul's smirk widened. "Birthday beats!"

Daisy had to cover her mouth to hide her amused smile. Of course she wasn't going to let any actual fighting go on, but she wanted to see her brother's reaction.

Gary expression turned to one of confusion. "What's that?"

"When it's someone's birthday, you have to hit them. You're six now, so I have to hit you six times." Paul explained. Gary's eyes widened.

"No! You can't hit me or I'll... I'll hit _you_!"

"I have to. It's the rules. And you can't hit me because it's not my birthday."

"No!" Gary yelled. "Daisy, he's gonna hit me!"

Daisy decided it was time to jump in. "Sorry Paul, there are no 'birthday-beat rules'. Some people just do it for fun, but you guys can't." Paul tilted his head.

"But my brother does it all the time."

"Yeah, the guys in my class are always doing stuff like that. But they are big kids, so, I'm sorry, but you're not old enough to yet." Daisy tried to sound as less insulting to the boy as possible. She knew most kids didn't like being called little.

"Oh, okay." Daisy was surprised at how understanding the six-year-old was. But the glint in his eyes had not disappeared as he turned to Gary.

"Gary, you're not old enough for birthday beats. You're too little." he informed him calmly.

Daisy had to use all of her strength to restrain herself from bursting out laughing. It was hilarious watching Gary's face as he struggled with the decision of either admitting that he was too little to avoid getting hit, or insisting that he was old enough so Paul could carry out his "gift". Was this cunning boy really just six? She assumed he had picked up some stuff from his brother.

"You're six too! If I'm too little, then you're too little!" Gary managed to reason. Paul shook his head.

"No, I'm old enough. My brother gives me birthday beats on _my_ birthday."

Daisy raised her eyebrows. Reggie probably just did it lightly. She made a mental note to ask him about it later.

When she could sense another tantrum from Gary on its way, she quickly announced the time.

"Okay, everyone, it's nearly five o'clock. Your parents would soon be here, so please start getting ready!"

* * *

More and more parents came to pick up the children, until there was only a small group left.

The next man to arrive looked like a butler, and he asked for "Young Master Andrew". May, Gary, and Paul said goodbye to their friend as he left in one of those long, fancy cars that May loved so much. Drew had said that they were called "limo-seens".

Eventually, Gary started to become bored, and asked his grandpa to open one of the board games Drew had brought for him. Ash, Leaf, May, and Gary crowded around as the old scientist explained how to play Checkers. Paul just watched from a distance.

Gary refused to let Ash play with him, but to his dismay, May and Leaf thought it was a bit boring. The ended up opening a Monopoly board game box (again, from Drew) and playing with its pieces, making a small city. Gary was going to ask Ash to play with him as a last resort, but turned out he had joined the girls in their game. Gary was starting to feel left out, and reluctantly eyed his last friend available.

"Do you want to play Checkers?" he asked Paul a bit hopefully.

Paul was still holding a grudge from their earlier quarrels, so he felt he should refuse. However, after seeing Gary's hopeful expression, free from most of the arrogance it usually showed, he changed his mind.

"Okay." He actually really did want to play Checkers, as he had found it interesting when Gary's grandpa was explaining it.

After some time, the bell rang again.

"Hiya, Daisy!" Reggie greeted as she opened the door.

"Paul, your brother's here!" she called out.

"Okay." Paul answered without looking up from his game with Gary, which they had ended up playing in their own creative way.

"So, Reggie..." Daisy suddenly remembered. "Paul was saying something about receiving birthday beats from you." She raised an eyebrow as if telling him to explain.

"Oh!" Reggie chuckled. "Nah, I don't really hurt him or anything. You know, just shoving him around a bit." When Daisy looked exasperated, he continued.

"Don't worry, it's nothing he can't take! Besides, I let him do it to me as well. Trust me, he may be small, but he can hit _hard_."

Daisy shook her head. _Must be a boy thing._ she thought.

"Hey, Paul!" Reggie called out, realizing his brother wasn't at his side yet. "We have to go!"

"Wait, I'm winning." Paul was extremely focused on the intense match.

"Awww, let them finish their game!" Daisy said, thinking the two of them were looking very cute. Until...

"No, _I'm_ winning!" Gary 'corrected'.

"No, you're not. I know how to play this better than you."

"No, you don't! It's my game!"

"On second thought... maybe it _is_ getting a bit late." Daisy had changed her mind.

After a few more minutes, another parent arrived. May heard someone call her name.

"May, it's time to go, honey." May looked up from her game to see that her Mommy had arrived at the door.

"Can I stay a little longer? I'm having so much fun!"

"Sorry, sweetie, but we have to go."

"Mie!" May's baby brother, Max, who was being carried by his mother, joined the conversation.

May eventually had to give in, but her mood improved when she was handed a goody-bag before leaving. After wishing one last happy birthday to her friend, she got into her car, updating her mother on all the events that had occurred.

* * *

**And done! This one was a bit long. I had a lot of fun writing it, though.  
**

**I didn't put as much of Leaf in it as I would have liked. What do you guys think? **

**Also, I finally thought out a schedule. I'm always tempted to post a new story every time I finish writing one, which explains why I've been updating every day so far. But I finally decided that I'm going to update twice a week instead, so I don't use up all my ideas at once. How does Monday and Thursday sound to you guys? If you would prefer different days, let me know.**

**Anyways, thanks for reading! If all goes well, my next update should be on Monday. See you then!**

**Bye bye for now! And have a smiling day! :)**


	6. Naming the Months

**Hello, readers! Okay, I know I said I'd update next on Monday, but I couldn't resist. I had this one ready, and I really wanted to update. This one is a bit shorter than usual, so it wouldn't have felt right making you guys wait till Monday when it's not even that long. Besides, I said I'd update on Mondays and Thursdays. Well, today is Thursday! So enjoy!  
**

**Disclaimer: I do not own Pokemon in any way, shape or size!**

* * *

**Naming the Months**

**Grade One**

**May (6), Drew (6), Gary (6), Paul (6), Ash (6)**

It was in grade one that Drew made an interesting discovery.

Drew always heard the names of the months around, whether a tutor was telling him that school started in September, or his father was emphasizing to someone on the phone to do whatever it takes to get something done by January. He found it very confusing to remember all the names, especially since a bunch of them ended in '-ember', while some others ended with '-ary'. They sounded similar, so it was easy to mix them up.

When his grade one teacher, Mrs. Thomas, announced that the class would have to learn all the names in the correct order for a quiz the next week, Drew was worried. It sounded hard, and even with his tutors, he wasn't sure if he could remember properly.

Mrs. Thomas started off by reciting the names of all the months slowly and clearly. Suddenly, part-way through, she randomly called out the name of one of his friends.

"...March. April. May..." Drew's friend, May, didn't react. Maybe she didn't hear? So Drew, being the good friend he was, reached out to where she was sitting in the desk in front of him and tapped her shoulder. She turned around.

"May, the teacher called you." he told her. Before she could reply, Mrs. Thomas appeared beside them.

"Drew, there is no talking in class." she informed him sternly.

"B-but... I was just telling May that you called her. I don't think she heard you." he explained nervously. To his relief, Mrs. Thomas smiled.

"Actually, Drew, 'May' is also the name of a month, not just your friend."

"Really?" This was news to him.

"Yes, and my birthday is in May!" May giggled.

"Now that that's straight, why don't I continue?" Mrs. Thomas returned to the front of the class to go on with the lesson.

Sitting in his desk, Drew quietly thought to himself. So, months could be names too? He wondered how it would have sounded if May's name was a different month. In the end, 'May' sounded the best, but 'April' and 'June' weren't so bad either. Interesting.

* * *

Later, Drew met with his friends May, Gary, Paul, and Ash outside. He decided to try an experiment using the new knowledge he had gained. He went up to May.

"Hello, July." he greeted.

"Why are you calling me July?" May was confused.

"Your name is a month, so can I call you other months, too?" Drew asked.

She had her answer. "No, my name is May."

"Okay." But he wondered how she would react if he called he a different month again. He smirked a bit and flipped his hair. "Okay, December."

"My name is May!" she repeated a bit louder than before.

"August!" Gary chimed in mischievously.

"No, my name is _May_!" Gary and Drew were both delighted with the results.

"March, April!" Drew tried two months next.

"No! No!" May was shouting now.

"January! February!" Gary followed Drew's example.

Stop it! My name is MAY!" the girl screamed.

"Your name is September! October! November!" Drew sang.

"No! NO!" May shrieked, stamping her foot. "Stop it! STOP IT!"

"I don't like 'November'." Paul said suddenly. He and Ash had just been silently observing the scene up until then (Ash, a little worriedly). "It doesn't sound like a name."

May relaxed. Of course Paul would stand up for her, being the no-nonsense type of guy he was...

"I think 'June' sounds better." May's mouth dropped open. Even Paul was teasing her!

"Yeah, June!" Drew agreed enthusiastically. "March and April and June!"

"No, stop it! I'm gonna get you!" May threatened. This only caused Drew to start running.

"Run, Gary! She's gonna get us!" Both boys began laughing and running as the furious girl chased after them.

"January, February, March, April!" They chanted the names of the months while doing their best to avoid getting caught.

Ash and Paul watched their friends from where they were standing.

"I thought her name was May..." Ash mused quietly.

* * *

The next week, Drew wrote his months quiz confidently. He was very pleased when he received his paper back with a perfect score and a big sticker at the top. He didn't need to worry about forgetting the names of the months anymore, especially since the presence of a certain bandana-wearing friend always reminded him.

* * *

**And there you have it! Hope you guys liked it. Tell me what you thought in your reviews.**

**Thanks for reading! See you on Monday!**

**Bye bye for now! And have a smiling day! :)**


	7. Noodling Around

**Hello everyone, and here is the next chapter as promised! Thanks for being so patient, and also thanks for all the reviews, follows, and favs.  
**

**Disclaimer: I do not own Pokemon in any way, shape or size!**

* * *

**Noodling Around**

**(Just finished) Grade Four  
**

**May (10), Paul (10), Drew (10), Gary (10), Leaf (10), Ash (10), Misty (10), Dawn (9)**

Grade four had finally ended, and summer vacation had started. May thought it would only be fitting for her and her friends to celebrate the finish of their toughest year yet. So, in mid-June, she arranged a small get-together at her house. Naturally, she invited her seven best friends: Ash, Dawn, Drew, Gary, Leaf, Misty, and Paul.

They spent the day hanging out, relaxing, recalling the highlights of the year, and playing some games. Eventually, it was time to eat.

"We ordered something _really_ special for lunch." May promised. "And lots of it. I know everyone's gonna love it!"

"Cake?" Ash guessed hopefully.

"No, Paul doesn't like cake." Gary pointed out.

"It's not cake, but it's just as good!" May led them to the dining room where her mother was setting down the last plate. There were eight seats, four on each side of the table. In the middle of the table, there was a large bowl of...

"NOODLES!" May revealed excitedly. "Isn't that the best, or what!"

The others didn't react the same way she did. They knew noodles were May's favourite food, so it was no surprise.

"If you say so." Misty mumbled.

"Come on, everybody! Let's eat some noodles!" May quickly took her seat. The others followed her example, with the boys sitting on one side of the table and the girls on the other. May's mother filled everyone's bowl.

"You can have as much as you like." she told them. "I'll be in my room if you need me!" She left the eight kids by themselves as they began eating their meal with their chopsticks.

"What are you guys doing?!" May yelled out all of a sudden. Everyone looked at her confusedly.

"Umm, eating noodles?" Ash answered, sounding unsure of how he was expected to respond.

"That's not how you eat noodles!" May sounded irritated. "We aren't at some fancy restaurant eating a fancy meal with rich, fancy people judging our manners. We are at _my_ house, celebrating the start of summer by eating noodles! You have to _enjoy_ the noodles! You have to _unwind_ like the noodles! You have to _be_ the noodles!" She concluded her speech by stuffing her mouth with a large amount of her lunch.

Ash rubbed the back of his head. "Yeah, but my mom told me to eat politely, so..."

"Well, by not enjoying yourself, you, mister, are not being very polite!" May managed to say through her half-full mouth. "I feel very offended! At this party, we were supposed to have fun, not practise manners!"

"If you say so!" Ash didn't give a second thought as he began eating in the same way as May.

"Come on, you guys!" May tried to encourage the rest of her friends. "It tastes better when you stuff your mouth completely!"

"Wouldn't your risk of choking increase?" Drew reasoned with a raised eyebrow.

"Choke? On noodles? Never!" May declared, just as Ash began coughing.

"Yeah, right..." Drew and the others were unconvinced.

After another moment of observing the two, Leaf shrugged. "Oh, whatever!" She began shoveling heaps into her mouth. "Yeah, you're right! It does taste better like this!" She was really enjoying herself now.

Gary grinned. "I'll take your word for it." He didn't hesitate after that.

"Come on Misty!" Ash's muffled voice said. "Eating noodles never hurt anyone!"

"It might, if you don't swallow before speaking." Misty retorted as she eyed her bowl. She was very strict on her eating habits, as she liked staying fit and healthy so she could do all her favourite sports (especially swimming) with ease. But it wouldn't hurt to let loose once in a while, right? Especially when it looked so tempting... Before she knew it, she was slurping noodles in amounts she had never slurped before.

Drew raised his eyebrow at his friends' behaviour. At his mansion, he always had to do everything with the best of manners. He felt no urge to copy the others around him.

Dawn wrinkled her nose. Everyone was eating in such a sloppy fashion. She could not see how it was enjoyable in any way.

Paul just looked bored as he continued his meal in the way he always did. He felt everyone around him was just being immature. Just then, a noodle came flying and landed on his face. He looked to his left to see noodles flying out of Ash's bowl as he ate.

"Sorry Paul!" Ash apologized with a full mouth.

"Ewww! Gross!" Dawn squealed, making a face.

"Ash, you're disgusting." Paul stated monotonously as he wiped off the noodle with a napkin.

"Gary, catch!" Leaf had found the flying noodle funny and had now flicked two towards her friend. He didn't react fast enough and ended up getting hit on the face.

"Oh, it is _on!_" Gary tossed a few noodles at her. He missed, and hit Misty instead.

"Why you...!" Misty grabbed a handful from her bowl.

A minute later, May, Ash, Leaf, Gary, and Misty were standing up, and there were noodles being thrown everywhere.

Dawn was ducking, trying to avoid getting her hair messed up, Drew was watching the scene with a mixture of disgust and amusement, and Paul was sitting as still as a statue with his hands folded across his chest and stray noodles dangling from his hair and clothes. He had lost his appetite after some thrown noodles had landed in his bowl.

Ash threw a handful of his lunch at Misty, but missed and ended up hitting Dawn's hair.

"My hair!" she shrieked.

"Sorry, Dawn!" Ash apologized, trying to hold back his laughter.

Dawn stood up, her horrified expression replaced with an evil grin. "No need to worry, Ash." she assured him in a sweet voice. "Because I'm gonna get my revenge!" Ash discovered Dawn could aim really well.

Drew observed everyone around him. May cheered victoriously as she got Gary in the face.

"Gee, December. You're so _childish_!" he commented, smirking.

This resulted in Drew getting a couple of strands of noodles thrown at his hair. He looked at May, who was responsible, and saw her grinning at him.

"Wow, Drew! Now your head looks like pasta salad!" she laughed.

After a few seconds of surprise, he grinned too, and stood up, flipping his hair (and a noodle in the process).

"Is that the best you got, _April_?" he taunted, his manners forgotten, as he used his chopsticks to fling noodles at the bandana-wearer.

"I'm surrounded by crazy people." Paul muttered. "Am I the only sane one here?"

SPLAT! A clump of noodles came flying out of nowhere and hit the right side of his face. Gary, who was sitting at his right, howled in laughter.

"That's a really good look for you, Paul! You look ridiculous! It's like you have half a beard!"

Paul slowly turned to face him. "Oh, you're asking for it now!" He stood up, grabbing a fistful from his bowl, and slammed it down hard on Gary's head, the noodles squishing into his hair.

"Aww man, Paul!" Gary whined. "How am I gonna clean this up!"

"Well, you should have thought about that before you laughed at me." Paul replied calmly as he wiped his hands on a napkin in a professional way.

"MAY!" Everyone froze and turned to the left. May's little brother, Max, was standing there, staring at the chaos with wide eyes and his mouth hanging open. It was then that they realized what they had done.

"I'm gonna tell Mom!" Max quickly scurried away to fulfill his role as a tattletale.

The eight friends looked at one another. They were definitely going to get in trouble now. Oh well. At least it had been fun while it lasted...

* * *

**This one was dedicated to May's love for noodles. Anyone feeling hungry?**

**Please review, and thanks for reading! See you Thursday!  
**

**Bye bye for now! And have a smiling day! :)**


	8. Lucky Pencil

**Hello everyone! Thanks for all the great reviews!  
**

**I have an extended author's note at the end, so be sure to check that out as well. I'm not putting it here, at the beginning, because you guys probably want to go right ahead to the story.  
**

**Happy reading!  
**

**Disclaimer: I do not own Pokemon in any way, shape or size!**

* * *

**Lucky Pencil  
**

**Grade Four  
**

**May (9), Drew (9), Paul (9), Dawn (9), Ash (9), Misty (9), Leaf (9), Gary (9)**

May looked especially happy when she walked into her grade four classroom one morning.

"Why are you so happy today?" her friend, Dawn, asked curiously.

"Look at what my dad gave me!" May pulled out a red pencil with a Beautifly eraser on it.

"Wow, it's so cute!" Dawn gushed.

"I know! It's my lucky pencil!" May informed her proudly.

"Lucky pencil? I don't believe in luck." Misty, another friend, joined in. "It's just a pencil."

"It's not 'just a pencil'! My dad gave it to me, and it_ is_ lucky!" May insisted. "My family and I were playing a game. I had this pencil with me, and I kept winning!"

"Winning a game doesn't come from luck." Leaf, another friend who had decided to enroll in May's school that year, reasoned. "It comes from skill."

"Not if all you have to do for the game is roll a dice. Whenever I rolled the dice, I got a good number. I won three times in a row!"

Leaf shrugged. "Could happen to anyone."

"It doesn't matter what you guys think. I think this pencil is special, and that's that! And I'll show you how lucky this pencil is. I'm gonna use it for the test we have before lunch time."

"What's this I hear?" May's green-haired friend Drew, along with Gary, Ash and Paul, walked up to them. "You're going to depend on a _pencil_ to get a good grade?"

"Well, I did study hard." May admitted. "But this pencil is gonna make _sure_ I pass!"

"Don't depend too much on it." Drew warned, and then felt obliged to add, "_September_."

"My name is MAY!"

* * *

Everyone was getting ready for the test. The others around May were taking out pencils, erasers, and sharpeners. May had already taken out her eraser and sharpener beforehand, but had left her lucky pencil in her pencil case. She didn't want it to end up rolling off her desk and getting lost. One minute before the test started, May opened her pencil case to take it out. But it wasn't there.

"Huh?" May searched through her case thoroughly, but it didn't show up. Maybe it fell? She looked under her desk, but all she found was the Beautifly eraser. But where was the pencil?

"Okay, class, I'm going to start handing out the test. Please put away anything you don't need." the teacher announced.

May began to panic. Where was her lucky pencil? She needed it! There was no time to search for it anymore. She had to use a plain-old everyday pencil to write the test.

* * *

"So, how was it?" Dawn asked her when lunch break started. "Did your lucky pencil help?"

"It's gone!" May moaned. "I can't find it!"

Dawn looked shocked. "But... where could it have gone? You were taking really good care of it! Where did you put it last?"

"In my pencil case, but it's not there anymore! I did find the Beautifly eraser under my chair, though." May pulled out the eraser from her pocket.

"Maybe it fell and rolled away." Dawn said.

"But I didn't even take it out of my case! How could have fallen if it was in a box?"

"I don't know..."

"Wait!" A sudden thought occurred to May. "What if... someone took it!"

"Who would take it, though?" Dawn wondered. "And why would they leave the Beautifly eraser behind?"

"They left it behind, because if they are seen with it, it would be obvious they took it! And the only ones here who I showed my pencil to were you, Misty, Leaf, Drew, Gary, Ash, and Paul."

"Do you really think your friends would take it?" Dawn questioned doubtfully.

"Who knows? I know Ash would never do such a thing, and Paul may be mean sometimes, but he wouldn't take someone's things without asking. Wouldn't want to anyways. But Leaf and Misty might have wanted to show me that luck doesn't exist, and you can only do things through hard work. Gary might have done it as a joke, or Drew could have done it to annoy me!" May theorized.

"Are you sure?" Dawn asked uncertainly. "You could have just accidentally dropped it without knowing."

"Like I said before, Dawn, I couldn't have. Oh, I'm gonna go find everyone and get my pencil back!"

"No need to worry, May, I'm sure you'll find it! I'll check around the classroom just in case it's somewhere on the floor." Dawn offered.

"Thanks, Dawn." May appreciated her friend's help. And off she went to search for the others herself.

She found Leaf and Misty first. They were outside, trying to see who could skip rope for the longest. The two got along pretty well, since they lived in the same neighbourhood and hung out often. Leaf also loved to compete, which suited sporty Misty just fine.

"Misty! Leaf!" May stomped up to them. The distraction caused Leaf, who was skipping at the time, to stumble and fall.

"Ooof! May you made me mess up!" Leaf complained. May didn't care.

"Leaf, Misty, I want my pencil back!" May demanded.

"What makes you think _we_ have your pencil?" Misty asked with a raised eyebrow.

"You guys probably took it so I would have to write the test without it. That way, you two can show me that you don't need luck to do something well."

"Look, May." Leaf said, frowning, as she didn't seem too happy about the accusation. "I know we both don't believe that pencil was lucky, but it was still yours. We would never take anything that doesn't belong to us without asking."

"So... you guys don't have it?" May asked hesitantly. When her friends shook their heads, she hung hers, feeling ashamed. "Sorry..."

Her friends looked at her sympathetically.

"Don't worry, May, I'm sure you'll find it." Misty assured her.

"We can help you look if you want." Leaf offered.

"No thanks, I think I might be able to myself." May left them to their skipping.

* * *

She tracked down Paul and Gary next. They were focused on a game of chess in a classroom where students usually played boardgames during lunch break.

Gary and Paul used to always play checkers when they were younger, but after they had mastered it, their games always ended in draws. So, they had moved up to chess. They weren't experts on it yet, but they were improving.

May made her way through the crowd that was watching their game. It was made up mostly of older kids, so it wasn't an easy task.

"I swear, they keep getting better every time I watch." May heard someone whisper to his friend as they watched the match. Finally, May had managed to push her way to stand beside the table the two boys were sitting at.

"Gary, where is my pencil?" she demanded. But Gary didn't even look up. He was too busy muttering to himself, thinking of all the possible moves he could make.

"Gary...!"

"In a minute..." he mumbled. He smirked slightly as he made his move. "Check." A crease appeared on Paul's eyebrow as he concentrated, trying to decide what was the best move for him to make that would protect his king.

"Gary, I want my pencil!" The boys paid no attention as Paul made his move, one that both protected his king and killed off a pawn.

"Thought you'd do that." Gary said as he took out Paul's bishop. "Check."

"Guys, are you even listening to me?!"

"Later, May, we're kinda busy." Gary said dismissively. He took another turn after Paul took his.

"I'm not leaving till I get my pencil!"

Gary finally looked up. "What pencil?" he asked blankly.

"My red pencil!" May specified. However, when she saw Gary's confused face, she knew she had been mistaken. "You... didn't take it, did you?"

"Check." Paul's voice got Gary's attention.

"Aww man! May was distracting me!"

"Make all the excuses you like. It's still check."

Gary's eyebrows furrowed as he tried to think out a new strategy.

"Paul, you don't have it either?" May asked quietly.

"Bother me later..." Paul responded a bit absentmindedly, as he was too absorbed in the game.

May sighed as she began her journey back through the crowd.

* * *

After a while of searching, May spotted the one she was looking for walking down the hall. A girl from their class, Brianna, was walking with him, showering him with her admiration.

"Your hair looks extra-nice today!" Brianna complimented.

"Why, thank you." Drew smiled as he flipped the green fringe of his hair.

"DREW!" May's voice roared as she stomped her way to him. He turned around to face her.

"Hello, June." he greeted, but he became a bit confused when he saw the furious look on her face. Brianna looked a bit nervously at her as well.

"Maybe I should go now. Bye Mister Drew!" She hastily scurried away, not wanted to get caught in what could be a big argument between the two.

"It's not funny!" May was now standing right in front of her friend.

"What's the matter, March? Did you hear a joke that didn't make you laugh?" Even though he had no idea why she was mad at him right now, he felt the need to tease her.

"I want it back!"

"Want what back?" he asked calmly.

"You know what!"

"Why would I even have anything that belongs to you in the first place?"

"I don't know! Why do you flip your hair and call me different months all the time?!"

"Well, it's kinda funny..."

"Exactly! So give me back my pencil!"

Drew raised his eyebrow. "Your _red_ pencil? I don't have your pencil. Who told you that?"

"Nobody told me, I just know! I mean, who else could it be?"

"Listen, May, I don't have your pencil. I don't know who took it, but it was definitely not me." The seriousness in his voice calmed May down a little. But it also upset her. If not even Drew had it, then who did?

"Are you sure?" she asked quietly.

Drew nodded. "Completely."

"But then who?" May wanted to know. "The only ones who knew about it were me, you, Dawn, Misty, Leaf, Gary, Ash, and Paul. I already asked Misty, Leaf, Gary, Paul, and you."

"May, do you really think one of your friends took it? There were lots of other people around. Someone might have overheard." Drew pointed out.

"Yeah, you're right. Sorry about that." May sounded discouraged as she began heading back to class.

Who could have been the culprit? Who could have stolen her special, lucky pencil? A sudden thought hit her. Could it have been... Dawn? Dawn really liked the pencil after all. Did she like it enough to take it? Or did she just want to use the lucky pencil for her test?

May shook her head. _No, she wouldn't have! She's helping me find it, which she wouldn't be doing if she had it._

"May! MAY!" May snapped out of her thoughts as someone called her. The blue-haired friend she had just been thinking about came running up to her.

"May!" she huffed when she arrived in front of her. "I think I found your pencil!"

"Really? Where?" May asked quickly.

"I think... you should come see for yourself." For some reason, Dawn sounded a bit nervous.

The two friends headed back to their classroom, which was mostly empty, except for Ash, who was leaning against his desk.

"Hey, May." He straightened up when he saw them coming. "So... you lost your red pencil?"

"Yes. Wait, are you saying _you_ have it?!" May was surprised. Ash, of all people, had stolen her pencil?

"Wait, let me explain! I didn't know it was yours. I needed a pencil for the test, and found it on the floor. It didn't have the Beautifly eraser on it, so it just looked like a normal red pencil. I didn't see anyone looking for it either, so I thought it wouldn't hurt if I used it for a while." Ash explained.

"But how did it get out of my pencil case?" May wondered.

"I don't know for sure," Dawn said, "but maybe when you were taking out something else, the pencil fell out too. Then the eraser got off, and it rolled away and ended up with Ash."

May thought about it. It made sense, so there was no point in being angry at her friend. He just hadn't known. She sighed.

"It's okay, Ash. Can I have my pencil back now?" Ash and Dawn exchanged a nervous glance.

"Well, the thing is..." Dawn started.

"Here." Ash held out the pencil. May's mouth dropped open.

It had shrunk! And not just a little, either; it was now one fifth its original size.

"Err, sorry about that." Ash apologized sheepishly, rubbing the back of his head. "I think I sharpened it a bit too much." May continued staring.

"Hey, no need to worry!" Dawn tried to stay positive. "You still have the eraser. You can just put it on another pencil, right?

May finally managed to say something. "My... pencil..."

"I'm very sorry, May." Ash said with a sigh. "I can get you a new one if you want."

May smiled at his sincerity. "It's okay, Ash. Besides, it was just a pencil. It would have ended up like that anyways, since I would have needed to sharpen it too. And like Dawn said, I still have the Beautifly eraser." She took it out of her pocket. "I'll just put it on another pencil." She went to her desk to get one.

"You know," Ash said to Dawn, "I actually do think that pencil was lucky. I really did need something to write with for that test. I wouldn't have been able to write it at all if that pencil hadn't suddenly rolled to me."

* * *

**And that was the story of May's lucky pencil. Hope you guys enjoyed it!**

****I have been asked if I would be adding in any other characters, like from Unova and Kalos, in these one-shots. I was originally planning to have different characters from regions up to Sinnoh make appearances as minor characters from time to time, but I can totally bring in some from Unova and Kalos as well. I just want to keep the 'main eight' as the focus of the fanfic.  
****

****However, there was one thing I realized. If I am going to bring in characters from Unova and Kalos, then Iris, Trip, Serena, and Clemont would eventually make appearances. These four are all about the same ages as Ash and the others, meaning they would be in the same grade. But the thing is that they are also major characters in the anime (Ash's traveling partners/rival (in Trip's case)). It would make sense to make them a part of the main eight group.****

****So here is where I need your guys' opinions. Do you want me to bring these four in as minor characters, or do you want them to become part of the usual group? My original plan was to only make one-shots of up to grade four (because the main point is to keep them as little kids), but I can add in grades five and six (I am not going higher than that) and make it so that these new four join them as best friends then. Whatever I do, I can definitely weave them into the story.****

****So what do you guys want? I might bring those four into one-shots sometimes, but I won't consider adding them into the main group until I get your opinions.  
****

****Anyways thanks for reading! Please review and tell me what you think about the whole character thing! See you Monday!  
****

**Bye bye for now! And have a smiling day! :)**


	9. Painting

**Hello, readers! Today's Monday, meaning today's update day as well! **

**Thanks for all the reviews for last time! Oh, and meet me at the end for an extended author's note thingy. **

**Anyways, happy reading!**

**Disclaimer: I do not own Pokemon in any way, shape or size!**

* * *

**Painting**

**Kindergarten**

**May (5), Drew (5), Gary (5), Paul (5)**

May walked into her kindergarten classroom, and immediately noticed the changes. All the round tables were covered in white, plastic sheets, and in the centre of each table, there were some jars of paints, one jar of water, and paintbrushes.

Ms. Kelly, her teacher, smiled at her. "Hello, May. I'm glad to see you didn't forget to bring an extra shirt for painting today." A few days ago, Ms. Kelly had sent home a note saying that they would be painting today. She had asked that everyone bring a big, baggy, old shirt to wear over their clothes, so their clothes don't get paint on them.

After she said good bye to her mother, May hurried over to where her friends were sitting. May was wearing one of her Daddy's old shirts. Gary was wearing a baggy shirt as well, and Paul was wearing one of his brother's old shirts. Drew, however, was wearing a white, long coat that went up to his knees with many buttons.

"Drew," May reminded him, "Ms. Kelly said we had to wear an old shirt so our nice clothes don't get dirty." She didn't want Drew to accidentally get his clean, white coat covered in paint.

"Nanny said it's okay if I get paint on it." Drew assured her. "She said I look just like an_ artist_." May was about to ask who 'Nanny' was, but Gary spoke first.

"It looks like the coat my grandpa wears sometimes." he noted. "I think he said it's a lab coat." Drew looked proud of his 'lab coat'.

"You can paint anything you want." Ms. Kelly instructed as she handed out blank sheets of paper. "Don't forget to clean your paintbrush in the jar of water before using a new colour of paint. If you don't, the colours can get mixed up."

Soon everyone had a piece of paper in front on them and a paintbrush in their hands. When Drew saw all the different colours, he immediately remembered the many different-coloured leaves on the trees. Since the season was autumn, the leaves on the trees that stood around his mansion's yard were now a mix of green, red, yellow, and orange. Drew made up his mind that he was going to paint those trees.

The day before, Gary had been looking through a big book on Pokemon with his grandpa. He really liked a Pokemon called Blastoise, and decided that that was what his picture was going to be.

The jar of bright, red paint caught May's eye. It was her favourite colour, and although she wasn't sure what she was painting, she wanted to use red paint.

Paul wasn't sure of what to make at all. He liked a few different colours, though, and decided to use them.

The class was bustling with activity as everyone painted, with some kids accidentally spilling their jars of paint or water, some getting paint all over their hands and face, and some asking for new paper.

May hummed as her brush moved back and forth as she applied more and more red paint to her sheet. Drew added some more colours, like blue and pink, to his trees, because he thought it looked nice. Gary was proud of his picture of a Blastoise. He thought it looked almost as good as the picture in his grandpa's book. Paul's paper consisted of random strokes of some colours he had picked out, such as blue, purple, grey, and black.

Finally, when everyone was done, Ms. Kelly walked around the classroom, looking at what her students had created. She arrived at May's table.

"Lovely paintings, everyone! May, that's a very nice red picture of a... of a..."

"Red!" May finished her teacher's sentence proudly. "I made red!"

"Yes, I can see that. Very nice. And Drew, those are some very colourful... trees?"

"Yes." Drew was happy his teacher liked them.

"Gary, that is a wonderful picture of a Pokemon."

"It's a Blas-toy." Gary informed her knowledgeably.

"Of course, it looks just like it! And what have you got there, Paul? It has many different colours."

Paul looked at his work thoughtfully for a while before answering. "I don't know."

"Is it an _abstract_ painting?" Ms. Kelly guessed. Paul looked at her blankly, as he was absolutely clueless to what 'abstract' meant.

"An 'abstract painting' is a painting that isn't a picture of a thing." Ms. Kelly explained. "It can just be many different colours, or a design."

"Yes, it's ab-strat." Paul said. He was more interested about learning a new word than getting praise from his teacher.

"Okay then!" Ms. Kelly clapped her hands. "I'm going to take everyone's paintings and put them over there to dry." She pointed to a counter that was covered in a white sheet, and was along the window. "No one is allowed to touch them until they are dry. Then, I am going to call everyone up table by table to go to the washroom to clean up."

Ms. Kelly walked around, transferring the paintings to their new spot after writing the artists' names on them using a black marker. She had to be extra careful not to rip May's paper, because it was completely soaked in red paint.

After she was done that, she began calling her students table by table to go to the washroom with her to wash up. May's table would be the last to go, so the four friends waited patiently.

"What are you doing?" Gary had noticed what May was up to. She was using her paintbrush to cover her hand in red paint.

"I'm making it pretty!" May showed him her work. "Look, now I even have nail polish like Mommy!" She looked up at her friends, seeing their expressions at her beautiful hand-painting. She then noticed Drew's coat.

"Drew, look at your lab coat! It's so pretty!" Drew looked down at his coat. It was now covered in small splashes of different-coloured paint. May looked at it thoughtfully.

"Can I make something on it?" she asked. Drew's nanny had said it was okay if Drew got paint on it, so he said yes.

May used her paintbrush to make a small happy face on his shoulder. She place her other hand, the one covered in paint, on Drew's coat to steady herself as she made it.

"There!" She moved back to observe the happy face she had made. She giggled when she saw something else. "Drew, my hand is on your lab coat!" And sure enough, there was a red hand print that was added to his coat's design. Gary eyed it admiringly.

"I wanna make one too!" He dipped his hand in blue paint and pressed it onto Drew's coat as well.

"I'm gonna do a green one." Drew stated as he added on a green hand print. Normally, he'd be against getting himself dirty or messy, but this looked like fun!

"You do one too, Paul!" May chirped. He didn't really want to cover his hand in paint, but he decided to anyway, and soon a purple hand print was also visible.

"Okay, May, Drew, Gary, and Paul, it is your turn now." Ms. Kelly called them. The four children obeyed as they walked up to their teacher.

"Look!" May pointed at Drew's coat, giggling. "We put our hand-prints on him!"

"Wow, that's a very creative idea!" Ms. Kelly was impressed. "All four of you put your hand prints on there?"

"Yes!" Gary confirmed. "Mine is the blue one, May's is the red one, Drew's is the green one, and Paul's in the purple one."

Ms. Kelly then addressed Drew. "Drew, is it okay if I write on it?"

Drew thought for a second. "Okay." he answered.

Later, when the students had all washed their hands and were no longer wearing their painting-shirts over their clothes, Ms. Kelly took Drew's coat.

"Can I give it back to you tomorrow?" she asked. "I want to keep it here with all the other paintings until it dries." Drew agreed.

* * *

The next day, after class was over, and everyone's parents came to pick up their children, Ms. Kelly told everyone that they were allowed to take their paintings home now.

May excitedly showed hers to her mother. "It's for you!" She handed it to her.

"Oh, darling, it's lovely!" Caroline complimented.

"Look, Grandpa!" Gary showed his to his grandpa. "I made Blas-toy!"

"And excellently, too!" his grandpa marveled, winking at his grandson. "Maybe I should just have _you_ make my Pokemon books!" Gary thought so too.

"Wow, this is great, Paul!" Reggie, who had come to pick up his brother, admired the paper Paul had handed to him. "Err, what is it?"

"It's ab-strat." Paul informed him with a serious look on his face.

Drew's butler had come to pick him up. Drew showed him what he had painted.

"Very nice, Young Master Andrew." the butler said, trying to show more expression on his face than usual.

"Oh, and Drew?" Ms. Kelly walked up to him. "Here is your coat."

Drew held the coat up so he could see everything that was on it. May, Gary, and Paul came to admire it too.

The originally white coat had colourful splatters of paint all over the front. Amongst the splatters were four hand prints, and each had the name of the owner below it in black marker, written by Ms. Kelly. On the back of the coat, the words 'Kindergarten Friends' were written, also in black marker.

The four friends observed the masterpiece for a moment. It was something, Drew decided, that he would keep forever.

* * *

**Another day at kindergarten. Anyone else miss those good old days?**

**Last chapter, I asked if I should add Iris, Trip, Clemont and Serena into the main eight group. I've made my decision.  
First, I want to thank everyone for their suggestions (actually, I want to thank you even if you didn't review or give suggestions. Just the fact that people read this makes me happy! :3).  
So, my decision? Don't add them into the main eight group. To be honest, I was kind of against it myself, but I wanted to know what you guys thought before I gave my opinion. I like the eight-group just the way it is, and personally, when there are too many main characters in a story, I find it hard to keep track of them.  
However, I still think they deserve a bigger role than minor characters. So I'm going to take your guys' advice and make them recurring/ side characters. So they might appear in some chapters once in a while (maybe not very often, though) and, in those chapters, they're going to have a bigger role than just a line or an appearance. So, how does that sound?**

**Oh, and I might (not sure) add in grade five. The only reason I'm mentioning this is because before, I said my plan was to only make up to grade four. But I think grade five wouldn't be too bad. Not that important, though. Moving on...**

**A guest reviewer asked me a question that I was expecting to be asked for a while now:  
Will there be any ships?  
Okay, well, here is the thing: I'm actually not really into romance. I know there is a lot of shipping with the characters I'm using, but the reason I'm using them is not only because they seem to be the most popular anime characters for fanfiction, but also because I find them the most interesting to work with. In this fanfic, I wanted to make the main focus their bond and friendship. I guess you, as the reader, can take their interactions any way you like, but I don't have any plans to make very obvious shipping. Although, I do like to reflect off the anime (I showed Brianna's admiration for Drew last chapter, not really as a shipping thing, but more as a reference to the anime).  
Sorry if I disappointed anyone.  
**

**Wow, that was a pretty long author's note. Whew!**

**Anyways, thanks for reading! See you next time!**

**Bye bye for now! And have a smiling day! :)**


	10. Beware the Cooties!

**Hello everyone! Today's Thursday, so sit back, relax, and enjoy the read!  
**

**Today's topic was actually a suggestion I received in a review. So, this one's for you, _Ready to fly_! ;)  
**

**Disclaimer: I do not own Pokemon in any way, shape or size!**

* * *

**Beware the Cooties!**

**(Summer before) Grade One  
**

**May (6), Gary (6), Paul (6), Drew (6), Ash (6), Leaf (6)**

It was a perfect summer day, and also the day Gary had invited his friends over to play with him. So he, along with his friends from kindergarten, May, Drew, and Paul, his best friend and next-door neighbour, Leaf, and Ash, whom his grandpa had insisted on inviting along, was on his way to the park near his house, with his responsible grandpa, Professor Oak, watching over them.

Once they reached their destination, Professor Oak went to sit on a bench. He had brought along something to do, since sitting around, watching the kids play for an hour, was bound to get boring. He pulled out a pencil, opened a book that had blank, lined paper, and began to write.

Gary and his friends headed for the playground.

"What should we play?" May wondered.

"I know!" Gary exclaimed. "Let's play King! I'm the king and you are my servants, so you have to do what I say!"

His friends looked at one another. They didn't like this game.

"Can we play something else?" Ash asked. But Gary had already made his way to the top of the highest slide.

"Get me ten cookies!" he ordered. The others looked up at their bossy friend for a moment, before Leaf yelled out.

"We don't want to play this game! Come on, everyone, let's go play something else!" To Gary's dismay, they began to go to a different part of the park.

"No, wait!" he called out, not wanting to be ignored. But they paid no attention, and left, with Leaf in the lead.

While Paul was following Leaf, something more interesting caught his eye. Professor Oak was still working on something, and Paul wondered what it was that the old man was so absorbed in. He made his way over to him and peeked at his book.

"What are you writing?" he asked curiously.

The fact that someone, even though it was only a six-year-old boy, was interested in what he was doing lighted a childish excitement in Professor Oak.

"Well, young man, I am writing Pokemon poetry. Usually I write small ones, like haikus, but today, I'm attempting to make a sonnet. Do you know what a sonnet is?" Paul shook his head, as he obviously did not.

"Why don't you sit beside me, and I'll tell you?" When the purple-haired boy hopped onto the bench next to him, Professor Oak began his explanation. "Well, you see, a sonnet..."

Meanwhile, Gary had discovered that it was boring playing all by himself. He went down the slide, and headed in the direction Leaf had taken his friends. He found them, all standing around the emerald-eyed girl, as she told them something that had them all captivated. Gary tried to listen in, but since he had come part-way through the story, it wasn't making any sense to him.

"Wanna play something?" he asked, before quickly adding, "Together?" He decided it was more fun to play with everyone rather than alone.

"Sh, Gary!" May said, not even turning towards him. "Leaf is telling us a story!"

Gary made a few more attempts to get everyone's attention, but they were all too focused on what Leaf was saying. This frustrated the spiky-haired boy, as he didn't like being left out or ignored. But he couldn't do anything to get their attention away from his best friend. Thoroughly irritated, he racked his brain for something, _anything_, that would help him take the spotlight away from her. And then he found it. He took a deep breath.

"Everybody, get away from Leafy!" he hollered. "She has _cooties_!"

This had the reaction he was expecting. Frightened, Drew, May and Ash jumped back from the girl, and ran to a safe distance.

"What are cooties?" Drew asked Gary in a worried voice.

"Leafy has them!" Gary answered, not having a very good explanation himself. "And if she touches you, you'll get them too!" Drew, along with May and Ash, who were also listening, looked horrified at the news. Leaf, however, had not yet budged from her place, as she was still a bit shocked. But once she regained herself, her expression turned to one of anger.

"I don't have cooties!" she insisted, folding her arms. When the others continued keeping their distance and watching her warily, she became angrier and stamped her foot."I do NOT have cooties!" she repeated. "Tell them, Gary!"

"She has cooties! Run, everyone, before she gets you!" Gary yelled out, causing the others to start running away frantically.

"GARY OAK!" Leaf screamed, and began chasing after him, causing more panic amongst the others. "I do not have cooties! Tell them the truth!"

May let out a loud shriek as the furious girl closely passed her on her way to the one who had started all this. "I don't want cooties!" the bandana-wearing girl sobbed, as she began heading in a different direction.

"But I _don't_ have cooties!" Leaf insisted, and she tried to reach May to show her that she didn't. This only caused May to scream louder and speed up.

"Don't worry, I'll save you!" Drew heroically began making his way to the two to save his friend from 'a terrible fate'.

"Leaf, leave May alone!" Ash yelled, trying to get her attention away from May.

"But I'm NOT doing anything!" Leaf cried out furiously. "And I DON'T have cooties!"

All that yelling and screaming finally caught Professor Oak's attention. He stopped the explanation he was giving Paul to look up, as he was afraid someone might have gotten hurt while he wasn't looking. He relaxed when he saw that the kids were just running around, chasing one another.

"They're probably playing tag..." he figured, before turning back to his little listener. "Now where was I? Oh, yes! So in the late 16th century, Sir Philip Sidney..."

Meanwhile, Gary, Drew, May and Ash had made their way onto the playground equipment, and were using a part, which was covered by a small roof, as their 'hideout'. There were some steps that led to their little base, and Leaf was standing at the bottom of them, glaring up at the others.

"Come down here! Gary, tell them I don't have cooties!" she ordered.

"Fire!" Gary commanded. He and Ash began tossing handfuls of sand, which they were carrying in their shoes (as they did not have a pail), at her. She let out a small scream as she jumped back.

"Now I have sand in my hair!" she whined before going back to glaring. "Let me come up!"

"But you have-" May started nervously.

"I _don't_ have cooties!" Leaf shrieked.

"How do you know?" Drew demanded.

"How do you know I have them?" she shot back. Drew, May and Ash turned to Gary. Gary noticed their gaze, and quickly tried to create a reason.

"Because I know so! And I'm the oldest, because my birthday is first, so I know more things than you!" His reason was good enough for his three friends, but not for Leaf.

"No! Paul's the oldest!" she argued. "And he never said I have cooties!"

"Paul isn't here now. And how do you know he doesn't think you have cooties? You never asked him!" Gary argued.

"Wait, where is Paul?" Ash wondered out loud.

Back at the bench...

"And that, my boy," Professor Oak concluded, clapping his hands together, "is the history of sonnets! Do you understand what a sonnet is now, Paul?"

Paul, who had been listening intently the whole time, nodded, feeling more knowledgeable than before, despite not remembering over half of what the old man had said.

"Oh my, look at the time! I guess time flies when you're having fun." The professor chuckled as he glanced at his watch. "Okay, everyone! It's time to go!" he announced.

The five who were in the playground had gone back to running from Leaf. They all stopped when they were called, and began hurrying to get to Gary's grandpa.

As they walked back, following behind Professor Oak, Gary, Ash, May and Drew continued keeping their distance from Leaf. The poor girl frowned, and walked up to Paul, who was currently her only friend left who was unaware of her so-called cooties.

"Do you think I have cooties?" she asked him.

"What are those?" Paul asked, nonplussed.

"Run, Paul!" Gary yelled. "She has cooties, and if she touches you, you will too!"

"But what are they? What do they do?" Paul asked the thing no one else had yet.

"Yeah, what do they do?" Ash repeated the question as he, and everyone else, turned to Gary.

"Um, they..." Gary tried to make up something, but all that pressure was preventing him from thinking.

"I don't think they exist." Paul declared.

"Yeah, maybe..." Gary admitted. But he didn't care. He had had a lot of fun with his friends today because of those cooties, whether they existed or not.

"Wait! If cooties don't exist, then... Gary lied!" Leaf realized, and turned angrily to her spiky-haired friend.

"Uh oh..." The boy began to run ahead.

"Gary Oak! Get back here!" Leaf yelled as she ran after him.

* * *

**So how was it? Tell me in your reviews!**

**Thanks for reading!**

**Bye bye or now! And have a smiling day! :)**


	11. Stop Bugging Me!

**Hello, readers! Yes, I know today is Saturday and not Monday or Thursday. The reason I'm updating today is because... well, actually, I don't have a good reason. I just felt like it, I guess.  
**

**Today's topic was a suggestion from a guest reviewer, so here it is! **

**I think I've said this before, but I'll say it again: I am open to suggestions. If there is something in particular you want me do, then you can tell me, and I'll definitely consider it. I'd love getting ideas from others! I'll always have some of my own chapters written out, for the times I don't get suggestions, or don't manage to finish a one-shot, so I hope I can continue updating as I usually do. Bottom line: Feel free to share your ideas with me!**

**Now, on with the story! Enjoy!**

**Disclaimer: I do not own Pokemon in any way, shape or size!**

* * *

**Stop Bugging Me!**

**(Summer before) Grade Two**

**Misty (7), Ash (7), Leaf (7), Gary (7)  
**

It was a warm, summer day, and Ash, along with his new friend, Misty, was out for a small walk. Misty had just recently moved into a house that was a short distance away from Ash's, and the two had met when Ash and his mother had gone to greet Misty's family and welcome them to Pallet Street.

Now, the two were outside, enjoying the weather, as Ash gave Misty a small tour of the neighbourhood. It was a pretty safe area, and everyone knew one another, so there was no danger of getting lost.

"Hi, Ash!" Ash turned when someone called his name. A girl with brown hair and green eyes came into his line of sight. She was walking alongside a spiky-haired boy.

"Hi Leaf! Hi, Gary." Ash waved back, though he said Gary's name less enthusiastically. Misty hadn't met Leaf and Gary yet, so she just stood there.

"Who's she, Ashy-boy?" Gary asked rudely, pointing at Misty.

"I'm Misty. And it's not nice to point." the orange-haired girl snapped. Gary was taken aback at her tone.

"Hi, Misty, I'm Leaf!" Leaf introduced herself cheerfully.

"Whoah, look at that!" Ash's attention had drifted from the conversation to something in the tree. The other three looked at the place he was staring at.

"It's a Pokemon!" Leaf observed.

"A Kakuna!" Gary knew its name.

"A Ka-kakuna?!" Misty stuttered, backing off a bit.

"What's wrong, Mist?" Ash asked, noticing her nervousness. The other two turned to her as well.

"I don't like bugs." she admitted.

"But it's so far away, way up high on that branch. It can't do anything to you." Ash pointed out.

"Bugs get me all creeped out, no matter how far away they are!" Misty didn't want to be anywhere near that Kakuna. "Come on, let's go somewhere else!"

"Misty's afraid of a little bug!" Gary teased. "Just like a girl!" Leaf gave him a hard shove for that last thing he said.

"Be quiet!" Misty yelled. "I can beat you up if I want to! I just don't like bugs!"

"But, Misty, it can't hurt you." Ash reasoned. Her fear didn't make any sense to him.

"I don't care; it's still creepy!"

"Look!" Leaf pointed at something else on the tree. "A Weedle!"

"That means there are probably a lot more of them around. And maybe some cool Beedrill!" Gary figured.

"We-weedle? Beedrill? Come on, Ash, 'cause I'm leaving!" Misty grabbed Ash's arm, and began roughly dragging him away from the tree with her.

"But, Misty! I wanna see the Pokemon!" he whined.

"Misty's afraid of itty bitty bugs! Misty is a scaredy-Meowth!" Gary chanted, following them, with Leaf close behind.

Misty suddenly let go of Ash's arm and turned around to face Gary.

"Be quiet!" she yelled, obviously annoyed. This only made Gary's smirk wider.

"Misty is scared like a little girl!" he continued taunting.

Leaf frowned at him, but it was Misty who pushed him this time. He fell back onto the ground, not hurt, but stunned that he had been shoved off his feet.

"Looks like the 'little girl' pushed down Gary!" Leaf giggled mockingly. Misty folded her arms and stuck her nose in the air.

"Look, Misty! It's a Caterpie!" Misty turned at Ash's voice, only to come face-to-face with a large Caterpie, which Ash was holding close to her face.

"Eeeep!" She jumped back with a yelp. "Ash, you take that away from me right now!"

"But Misty, look at how cool it is!" Ash whined.

"Where did you find that?" Gary asked interestedly. Ash pointed to some bushes underneath a tree, so Gary went to inspect.

"Come on, Misty! A Caterpie can't hurt you!" Ash tried to convince her.

"Ugh, just get that away from me! Bugs are one of the three most disgusting things in the world!" Misty yelled.

"One of the three?" Leaf tilted her head.

"Besides bugs, what are the other disgusting things?" Ash asked curiously. Misty glared at him.

"Very funny, Ash! If you really wanna know, they're carrots and peppers!" she shouted.

"But carrots and peppers aren't bad." Ash said. "I like them. And I like bugs too."

"I don't care! Everybody has something they don't like and I don't like bugs!"

"Whoah, cool!" Gary, who had been searching through the bushes where Ash had found the Caterpie, exclaimed. "There are a whole bunch of Pokemon here!"

"Let me see!" Ash peered into the bush as well. "Yeah, you're right! There are so many Caterpie and Metapod!"

"I don't wanna be here with these creepy bugs!" Misty whined. "I'm going home!"

"But Misty, you haven't been around here for long. You don't know the way back." Ash pointed out. Misty blushed a tiny bit because she knew he was right. But she was not about to back out now.

"I'm still going." she said stubbornly, starting to go on her way.

"Umm, that's the wrong way." Misty, slightly more pink than before, turned around to go in the correct direction.

"You know, I don't want to catch bugs with you guys either." Leaf announced. "It's too boring!" Gary and Ash were too absorbed in their search to pay attention to what she was saying. She frowned and turned to Misty.

"Come on, Misty, we can go to my house. We have ice cream!" The two girls walked off together.

* * *

Later, Misty and Leaf were both at Leaf's house, sitting on the front-door steps, licking their ice cream cones.

"Look!" Leaf pointed out at something. "I think the boys are back!"

And they were. Ash and Gary both arrived, looking a bit grumpy, and covered in white, sticky web. The web was covering their shirts, dangling from their hair, and all over their faces. Leaf burst into laughter at the sight, while Misty just watched them smugly.

"What happened to you guys?" Leaf managed to say through her laughter.

"Turns out the Caterpie don't like it when we take them out of their house." Gary explained grumpily.

"And they use String Shot pretty good too." Ash added.

"See? I told you!" Misty gloated. "You shouldn't have bothered those bug Pokemon."

"No, you didn't!" Ash argued.

"Yeah, you just screamed and said you hated bugs." Gary chimed in.

"Well, at least we don't have to take an extra-long bath today!" Leaf pointed out.

"Can I have some ice cream?" Ash asked, eying their cones.

"Not until you clean up!" Leaf replied.

Grumbling, both boys walked off to their houses, leaving two snickering girls behind them.

* * *

**Looks like Ash and Gary have some cleaning up to do! I just realized: this the first chapter that doesn't include May. Oh well, she can't be around all the time.  
**

**Please review, and thanks for reading!**

**Bye bye for now! And have a smiling day! :)**


	12. Those Confusing Hallways

**Good morning, readers! I'm going to be busy today, so I'm updating now.**

**Happy reading!**

**Disclaimer: I do not own Pokemon in any way, shape or size!**

* * *

**Those Confusing Hallways...**

**Grade One  
**

**May (6), Drew (6), Paul (6), Gary (6), Ash (6)**

When Drew came to class one morning, it was May who noticed something was missing.

"Drew, where is your lunchbox?" she asked worriedly. Had he lost it?

Drew looked around and realized May was right; his lunchbox was nowhere to be found.

"Did someone take it?" May asked. Immediately she turned to Gary. "Did you take it?"

"No!" Gary protested. "I was here the whole time, and Drew just came. I didn't take it!" How unjust of her to accuse him like that! Just because he did stuff like that sometimes didn't mean he _always_ did!

"Maybe I dropped it when I was coming here." Drew theorized. It could have slipped out of his grasp and he didn't notice.

"How are you going to eat?" Ash said, panicking. "What if you don't have anything to eat for the whole day?"

Drew stiffened. "It's okay. I won't complain." If, at his mansion, he had to do something he didn't want to, he wasn't allowed to complain.

May hesitated. "You can share some of my lunch." she offered. Drew smiled. She was such a nice friend.

Mrs. Thomas came in, and class started, so they all had to go to their desks.

* * *

When lunch time was about to start, Mrs. Thomas addressed Drew.

"Drew, I got a call from your house. You forgot your lunch box at home, so they sent it to the office so you could pick it up from there." she informed him. "I am a bit busy right now, so I wouldn't be able to take you there myself. But I can tell you where to go."

She gave the green-haired boy directions to the office, which he understood very well. After all, he had to follow many directions and rules at his mansion.

"Maybe someone should go with you." May suggested.

"No, I can do it myself." Drew was very confident. And he was right; he reached the office without any problems.

Problems started, however, after he had received his lunch box and exited the office. Mrs. Thomas had given him directions on how to get to the office, but not how to get back. He couldn't remember which hallway he came through, and which direction he needed to go. The area was unfamiliar, because this was where the higher grades were located. It didn't help that the halls were completely crowded with tall students who didn't even notice his short self.

Now, Drew had plenty of experience conversing with grown-ups. He had a lot of practice from the parties his parents had or went to sometimes. He knew how to speak politely, and answer and ask questions without being intimidated by their towering heights.

He did not, however, have experience in communicating with teenagers. Teenagers who were loud, rough, always moving, more interested in where they were going or talking to their friends, and failing to notice his presence.

Drew attempted to catch someone's attention, but with no success. They couldn't hear his tiny voice in the bustling hallways, and simply passed him without even a glance. The little boy decided to try to find his way without help, but this only caused him to end up in another unfamiliar place, where the students seemed to be even taller. He was now in the junior high and high school area.

He knew he needed help, but he continued to fail catching anyone's attention. He couldn't even find a reliable teacher; the students were so tall, it was hard to figure out the difference between a teacher and a student. He thought he saw Paul's older brother once, and later, he glimpsed Gary's sister too, but they disappeared before he could get to them. He was completely lost, and had no idea which direction he should head in.

"Hello." A nice, calm voice caught his attention. "Are you lost?"

Drew looked up to see a tall, teenage girl standing in front of him. She had long, pink hair, blue eyes, and a pleasant, reassuring smile.

"Yes. I have to go to my grade one class." Drew was glad someone was finally helping him.

The girl chuckled. "Well, if you're looking for grade one, then you're a bit off. My name is Solidad, and I can take you back to class if you want."

"Yes, please." Drew said gratefully.

Turned out Drew was not a bit off, but _a lot_ off. He followed Solidad through hallways with many turns, making their way to his destination.

* * *

Meanwhile, May was getting very worried when her friend didn't show up for a long while.

"He's still not here! Where is he?" she wondered worriedly.

"Can I just go outside to play?" Gary grumbled. She wouldn't let him leave until Drew was back, so they could all go outside together.

"No, we have to wait for Drew!" May ordered, anxiously watching the classroom door, with a little hope that he would arrive through it soon.

"Don't worry." Ash reassured her. "He'll probably come back soon."

"Or maybe he won't." Paul pointed out, not looking concerned at all about the situation.

"He has to!" May said frantically.

"No, he doesn't." Paul said monotonously, shrugging. "If he got lost, and he doesn't know anyone, then no one would help him, and he can't get back himself."

"Don't say that!" Ash scolded. "Drew is very smart. He'll ask someone for help, even if he doesn't know them."

"But maybe no one would listen. I go to the big-kid place all the time when I have to go to my brother. Nobody hears you if you don't know how to get their attention."

"Yah, and they step on you!" Gary jumped in. "Once, when I was going to my sister in the big-kid place, people kept stepping on my feet!"

May looked terrified, and even Ash's positive attitude seemed to be wavering.

"What if..." May said in a frightened voice. "What if... he got hurt, and he's lost and scared, and nobody will help him and people keep stepping on his feet and..."

"Who?" A confused voice became present, and May stopped her ranting mid-sentence.

"DREW!" she yelled, launching herself onto the speaker. "You're okay!"

"Um, yes?" Drew had finally arrived with his lunch box, and he was a little puzzled at May's behaviour.

"Are these your friends Drew?" Solidad was at the door, watching them reunite.

"Yes. These are May and Gary and Paul." Drew introduced, before his eyes widened when he realized something. "How do you know my name? I didn't tell it to you."

"Oh, lucky guess." Solidad said, winking. She didn't mention that she had heard May scream it out in front of her.

Drew thought it was a bit odd, how she knew, but didn't think too much into it. "Bye Solidad. Thanks for helping me."

"Bye, Drew! Bye, Drew's friends!" And the pink-haired girl left.

"Can we go to the playground, now?" Gary whined. "Drew's here!"

"Okay!" May finally gave him permission to do as he pleased.

And thus, the five friends went on their way, with Drew starting to eat his lunch, and telling them about his latest adventure.

* * *

**And there you go! I realized that I said I'd be adding more side characters, but I haven't been doing much of that, now, have I? Which is why Solidad made her appearance today!**

**Also, I'm going to be a bit busy this week, so I might not have a lot of writing-time. So if you have suggestions, I'm still willing to hear them, but don't expect me to post a chapter on them right away. I still would be updating, though, because I happen to have a couple of chapters written out in advance for such situations (like this one!).**

**Please review, and thanks for reading!**

**Bye bye for now! And have a smiling day! :)**


	13. Climbing Trees

**Hello! Thursday + finished chapter = today's update! (I thought I should review some math before school starts in about a month)**

**So, like I said before, I didn't have a lot of writing-time for the last few days, so today's chapter is another one of the ones I had already written beforehand. I might get some writing-time during the weekend, though, so everyone who gave suggestions is going to have to wait a little longer before I can write on their topic.**

**Anyways, enjoy today's chapter!**

**Disclaimer: I do not own Pokemon in any way, shape or size!**

* * *

**Climbing Trees**

**Grade Two  
**

**May (7), Ash (7), Gary (7), Drew (7), Paul (7), Misty (7)  
**

"No you can't!"

"Yes I can!"

"No you can't!"

"Yes I can!"

"Can't!"

"Can!"

"What's going on here?" Misty, along with Gary and May appeared on the scene.

Ash was having an intense argument with a girl with wild, purple hair. The girl looked familiar. She wasn't in the same class as them, but she was in grade two as well, as their school had two classes for each grade. Both she and Ash were stubbornly holding their ground in whatever they were arguing about.

Meanwhile, Paul and Drew were standing to the side, watching them.

"There you guys are!" Gary said, noticing Paul and Drew. "I was wondering where you two went! What are you doing here, though?"

"Watching Ash have a pointless argument with some girl." Paul replied in a bored way.

"Hey! This '_girl'_ has a name! It's Iris!" The purple-haired girl directed a glare at Paul.

"What are they fighting about?" May asked, as, after the brief interruption, Iris went back to yelling at Ash.

"Something about trees." Drew answered. "You see..."

_(Flashback)_

_Drew was strolling around by himself at recess. He wasn't really sure where the others were, but he didn't mind being alone sometimes. A short distance away, he suddenly saw his friend Ash._

_Ash was passing under a tree, when a couple of leaves fell on him from above. When he looked up, he jumped back with a little yelp. _

_"Sorry!" A voice came out from amongst the tree branches. A girl flawlessly jumped out with a flip, landing perfectly in front of Ash on the ground._

_"Did I scare you?" she said in a somewhat teasing manner._

_"Well, yeah, of course you did!" Ash still seemed a bit shocked. "You aren't supposed to be up in trees, yah know. You could fall and get hurt!"_

_"Maybe you could, if you were a little kid like yourself. But _I'm_ an expert at these kinds of things." the girl bragged proudly._

_"Says who?" Ash became annoyed at her arrogance. "I bet I could climb this tree just as well as you can!"_

_"Hmm. No, I don't think so. You're too much of a little kid."_

_"I'm not a little kid! And I _can_ climb this tree!"_

_"No way! I don't believe you."_

_"Yes I can!"_

_"No, you can't."_

_Drew came up to them. "Does it really matter who can climb a tree or not?" he asked. "It's not that important."_

_"Yes it is!" the two who were arguing yelled in unison._

_Drew continued watching them, trying to break it up once or twice before giving up. And then Paul just randomly came out of nowhere to stand beside him, observing the bickering two._

_(End of flashback)_

"So that's what happened." Misty turned to Ash and Iris. "You know, there is no point in arguing about something like that. My sisters do all the time, but they never get anywhere."

"And besides," Gary put in, "I already know Ash is bad at climbing trees. You don't have to fight about it."

"Hah!" Iris exclaimed in triumph. "See, your friend agrees with me!"

Ash scowled. "You're wrong, and he is too."

"Then prove it." Iris challenged. "We'll both climb this tree, and the one who gets the highest wins!"

Ash nervously studied the height of the tree, before putting on a determined face and facing Iris. "You're on!"

"WHAT?! Ash, that's crazy!" Misty yelled.

"You could fall and get hurt! It's dangerous!" May chimed in worriedly.

"Ash, think about what you're doing. What if the branch breaks, or you slip?" Drew reasoned seriously.

"This should be good..." Paul commented in the same way his brother did when someone was about to mess up on TV.

"Yah, tree-climbing challenge!" Gary cheered. "Go Ash! You can do it! Or are you too scared?"

"I'm not scared!" Ash protested. He walked up to the tree trunk and grabbed the lowest branch. May gasped loudly as he hauled himself up.

"See? This isn't that hard!" Ash confidently reached for another branch.

"Too slow!" Iris taunted, as she practically flew up. "Wake me when you catch up." She lay down on a high, sturdy branch with her hands folded behind her head.

Meanwhile, Ash was having a lot more difficulty. The branches were becoming even more difficult to reach and hold on to. But Ash was persistent. He was not about to lose after Iris had made fun of him.

"Ash, this is crazy! Get down here right now!" Misty yelled up to him when he was about eight feet off the ground.

May let out a small scream when he nearly slipped and lost grasp. She turned to whoever was standing at her right, which happened to be Paul.

"Do you think he'll be okay?" she asked him worriedly.

"Nope, he's a goner." Paul responded bluntly. This caused May to panic and start shrieking at him.

"Get someone! Get a teacher!"

"It's not worth it, Ash! Just come back down!" Drew called up. When he refused, Drew called out again. "I'm going to tell the teacher if you don't!"

"Tattletale!" Gary accused his green-haired friend, causing him to hesitate. Seeing, that he had prevented the arrival of a teacher (which would have no doubt put a stop to all the fun), Gary shouted out to Ash.

"Come on, Ashy-boy! You're not even close to where she is!" he cheered wildly.

Ash ignored his friends' shouts of protest as he continued his way up. Iris was looking down at him from her spot, with a face that clearly said "There is no way you can do it." He would show her!

SNAP! Ash suddenly found that the branch under his feet broke off. He was now hanging onto a weak branch with both hands, flailing his legs around, trying to get some footing. Everyone below him was now screaming and yelling. He could even hear Gary's voice, but it didn't sound like he was enjoying this anymore.

"Hold on!" He heard Iris yell as she tried to quickly get to a branch near him to help. His grip was slowly failing, but he wasn't going to let go. He wasn't going to give up...

Unfortunately, the branch he was holding on to had different plans. It broke away, right before Iris could reach him.

* * *

"Owww..." Ash moaned, clearly in pain, as the school nurse examined his ankle.

"Hmmm. Good news is, it doesn't look like it's broken." Nurse Joy informed him. "Bad news is, it's a pretty bad sprain. You're going to have to stay off that foot for a while."

"I'm so sorry." Iris apologized, looking ashamed. She and Ash's friends were in the nurse's office with him. "I didn't think you would actually try to climb so high."

"Well, one thing about Ash is that he never gives up. Even if what he's doing is dumb." Misty looked as if she wasn't sure whether she should be worried about her friend, or angry at him for making her worry. But she did show a bit of annoyance at Iris for making him get himself hurt in the first place.

"Sorry..." Iris really meant it, but Ash was too preoccupied with his ankle to show whether he accepted her apology or not.

"It's a good thing you came to get me, Drew. That was very responsible of you."

When the branch had snapped from under Ash's feet, Drew, after a brief moment of panic, had left hurriedly to get a teacher. The teacher he had found on supervision was Mrs. Thomas, his grade one teacher from last year. While she hadn't arrived in time to avoid the fall, she got Ash to the nurse's office. She had remained with them there to see if her last year's student was okay.

"Recess is over. You kids should get back to class." Nurse Joy advised the six grade-two students.

"But, what about Ash?" May asked anxiously.

"I will call his mother so she can take him to the doctor. He'll be all right, so you have nothing to be worried about." Nurse Joy assured her.

"It's okay guys; I'm fine." Ash managed to say, through all that pain.

One by one, his friends left after saying byes, Gary being the tiniest bit jealous at all the attention Ash was getting. Iris was the last to go, evidently still feeling guilty about being the reason Ash got hurt. She looked at him hesitantly before she went out the door.

"Sorry, Ash." she attempted to apologize again. With great effort, he managed a smile.

"It's okay. It's kinda my fault too." Iris, glad to finally have her apology accepted, went off to class.

Everyone had definitely learned a lesson today: Don't climb a tree unless you actually know how to.

* * *

**And it's Iris's turn to hop in! Poor Ash though.**

**Please review, and thanks for reading!**

**Bye bye for now! And have a smiling day! :)  
**


	14. Sleepover

**Hello everyone! Monday is update day, and today is Monday, so you know what that means!  
**

**There was a sudden turn of events, and I found myself with barely any writing-time during the weekend. But I managed to write at every chance I got, and finally got this chapter done. So thanks for being patient, _Bluewolfbat,_ here is the chapter based on your suggestion!  
**

**Disclaimer: I do not own Pokemon in any way, shape or size!**

* * *

**Sleepover**

**Grade Three  
**

**May (8), Dawn (8), Gary (8), Ash (8), Misty (8), Drew (8)**

Dawn excitedly bounced up and down as her friend May entered through the front door.

"May!" she exclaimed as she ran to her friend.

"Dawn!" May was equally excited. "Is everyone else here yet?"

"Yes, you were the last one. Come on, everyone's waiting in my room!" May hurried to Dawn's room, after saying good bye to her mother. She was soon greeted by Drew, Gary, Ash, and Misty. She frowned when she saw someone was missing.

"Where's Paul?" she asked. "I thought you said everyone was here."

"He called and said he wasn't coming." Dawn answered. She was secretly glad he wasn't, since he didn't look like the type of guy who liked to have fun, and she didn't want him to ruin today. Or tonight.

"This is going to be so much fun!" May squealed happily. "Being here with all of my best friends except for Paul!"

"And Leafy." Gary reminded her.

"Oh, yes. And Leaf." May quickly corrected herself.

"Who's Leaf?" Dawn asked curiously.

"She's another one of our best friends." Misty filled her in. "She doesn't go to our school, but she's Gary's next-door neighbour, so you'll probably meet her if you ever come by our neighbourhood."

"I love meeting new people!" Dawn temporarily got lost in thought at the idea of having a best friend whom she hadn't even met yet (they were in the same best friend group, so that automatically made them best friends, right?). "But right now, we're at my house, and we're gonna have a lot of fun. This sleepover is going to be great!"

Dawn had been planning this sleepover for a while, with full support from her mother, who thought it was a wonderful idea for her to get together with her new friends like this. Finally, it was the first Saturday of October, the day she had been waiting for for so long. Time for her long-awaited sleepover!

The six friends started off playing some boardgames, which eventually became a bit boring, so they invented their own way of playing them. This resulted in a chaotic mess (mostly because of Gary) with pieces from about three different games being all jumbled up, and then their game somehow ended up turning into an intense pillow-fight.

When Dawn's mother called them for their dinner, Dawn demanded that everyone clean up, and refused to let anyone exit her room until it was back to being the way it was before they had begun playing. Of course, this was no easy task, and it took a long while. Her friends made a mental note not to let their games go completely out of hand and result in a big mess when Dawn was present.

* * *

"Do you want to hear a story?" Gary asked, grinning mischievously. The five others, who were sitting at the table with him, looked at his curiously.

"What kind of story?" May asked.

"The best kind, of course! _Ghost_ story!" Gary answered excitedly.

"I don't think those are the best kind." Drew said in a matter-of-fact tone. "There are lots of other kinds I like to read, and they're pretty good too."

"Are you saying you're too scared to hear it?" Gary taunted.

"Of course not!" Drew denied indignantly. "I was just saying! So let's hear it!"

"So, do you all want to hear it?" Gary gazed at all his friends. Misty looked as if she were saying "Bring it on!", while May appeared to be a bit wary and Dawn seemed intrigued.

"Is it really scary?" Ash asked through a mouth-full of the pizza they were having for dinner.

"Yes, Ashy-boy, ghost stories are _supposed_ to be scary." Gary rolled his eyes. "Do you want to hear it or not?"

"Okay..." May said hesitantly, and the others murmured in agreement.

"Okay!" Gary started enthusiastically before make his voice spooky and mysterious. "So, it all happened on an October day. It was Friday the thirteenth, and everything was dark..."

The eight-year-olds listened intently to Gary's story. Their faces soon had looks of horror on them, as Gary filled them in on terrifying details, his voice getting lower as he neared the ending.

"And then..." he whispered as the others, barely breathing, soundlessly paid close attention to his every word, trying not to miss out on anything. "...the little boy heard a quiet whispering right behind him. He couldn't move, because he was too tired of running, and too afraid to turn around. But the voice was getting closer... and closer... and closer...

"And then, he felt an ice-cold hand on his shoulder. He tried to scream, but he couldn't, because it felt like another hand was holding him tight around his neck, choking him. And then he heard a voice in his ear: 'You're coming with me...'. Then, the ghost took him away with him, never to return again. No one knows what happened to the little boy, but people think the ghost took him back to his grave with him, for revenge for waking him up by touching his tomb."

Gary finished dramatically, and his eyes quickly darted around to catch his friends' expressions. They were all quiet and still for a moment.

"That was... spooky." May finally commented.

"I'm gonna have nightmares for days!" Ash said, shivering.

"It wasn't _that_ scary." Misty tried to look tough.

"Y-yeah!" Dawn agreed, although she looked very pale.

Drew shuddered. "At least ghosts don't exist." he pointed out.

"Of course they don't exist!" Misty folded her arms. "There are ghost-type Pokemon, but they're not like the ghosts in Gary's story."

"Are you sure about that?" Gary smirked. "My grandpa says some other scientists study only ghost Pokemon, because there are some ghost Pokemon that might be able to take you to some weird place. I think he said it was the spirit world or something."

"L-let's just do something else!" Dawn quickly changed the topic. "After we're done eating, we can go to my room and play something."

The others nodded and silently completed their food, there minds still questioning the idea of the supernatural.

* * *

"What should we play?" May wondered later when the six friends were gathered in Dawn's room.

"How about tag?" Ash suggested.

Dawn shook her head. "No, my mom won't like all the noise, and we might knock stuff over. Plus, there isn't that much space to run in the hallways and rooms."

"Truth or dare!" Gary said quickly. Dawn looked like she was about to agree, but Ash beat her to it.

"No way! Gary will only make you do something you really don't want to, and he will ask really embarrassing questions for truth!"

"Dress-up!" Dawn exclaimed. "We can play dress-up! I have lots of different clothes and costumes, so we can pretend we're rich and fancy people!"

May nodded eagerly, and Drew didn't seem to have too much of a problem with it, but Ash, Gary and Misty refused, because they thought it was too girly. They sat thinking for a moment, until May jumped up as a brilliant suggestion popped into her head.

"I know!" she exclaimed. "Hide-and-seek! It's lots of fun, and it's not girly or rough or anything!"

Dawn looked a bit unsure, but everyone else seemed to think it was a great idea. Dawn stood up and faced all of her friends.

"Okay, we'll play hide-and-seek." she said. "But there are some rules. You're not allowed to go in any rooms that have closed doors, and you have to try not to mess anything up. Okay?"

The group agreed, and once they had a serious competition of rock-paper-scissors, they decided that Dawn was going to count. As she covered her face and began her count to forty, the others ran off to find a hiding place.

While searching for a place to hide, May discovered Drew seated behind a large pot of a green, leafy plant.

"Find another spot." Drew whispered to her, flipping his hair, proud of his hiding spot. "This one's taken." She nodded, and was about to tiptoe off, when she turned back to him and began giggling loudly.

"Ssh!" Drew hushed frantically. If Dawn heard her, she'd know where he was. "What are you laughing at?"

"She'll never find you here!" May managed to say through her giggles. "Your green hair blends in with the plants!" She had to cover her mouth with both hands to prevent herself from bursting out laughing.

Drew glared at her, but he knew Dawn would hear if he had an outburst, so he kept his cool.

"Just go away, June!" he whispered fiercely. May skipped away, but immediately sped up once she heard Dawn reach twenty.

Gary carefully observed his surroundings, trying to locate the perfect place to conceal himself. He prided himself in his clever hiding abilities, but the place he had wanted to hide, which was behind the large chest filled with dress-up clothes in Dawn's walk-in closet, had already been taken by Misty. And so, he continued his search, starting to panic a little as Dawn counted higher and higher.

He found himself in Dawn's room, where there were bedsheets spread out all over the floor, creating the area where they would sleep tonight. A pillow poking out from under the sheets gave him an idea.

He got under the sheet, and set some pillows around him so it looked like the bump he created by lying flat under the sheets was caused by the pillows. However, it wasn't really comfortable. He moved around, trying to adjust his position. Unfortunately, this kept making the sheet slip off him.

"Gary?" He heard Ash's voice. It looked like he had wandered there, searching for a hiding spot for himself.

"Ash! Help me fix this!" The urgency in Gary's voice convinced Ash to aid him without question, and soon Gary was completely concealed under the sheets and pillows.

"Good, now go away!" Gary ordered, his whisper coming out muffled. He didn't want Ash to stick around and give away his ingenious hideout.

"And forty! Ready or not, here I come!" Dawn's voice could be heard from the hallway. Ash froze in mid-step, and his eyes darted from place to place, trying to find somewhere, anywhere, where he could hide.

As Dawn's footsteps could be heard approaching the room, the black-haired boy panicked, and, without thinking, dove under the bedsheets with Gary. Gary held back a groan. Ash was going to give away his spot and ruin everything!

"Ash, go somewhere else!" Gary hissed as quietly possible. He closed his mouth immediately when he heard someone enter the room.

"I know you're in here!" Dawn sang as she looked around. Gary didn't dare move a muscle, and fortunately, neither did Ash. They waited, holding their breaths, until their friend's footsteps went out the door. The two boys relaxed somewhat, but they knew she'd be back later.

"Found you May!" Dawn's voice rang through the air a short while later as she uncovered her bandana-wearing friend hiding under the dining room table. After a few moments, it seemed she noticed Drew as well, and the three returned to her room.

"Let's check the closet." Drew suggested, and the closet door squeaked as they went in. There was a very brief silence, before Dawn yelled out that she saw Misty behind the chest of clothes. Gary felt a bit smug. If he had hid there instead of Misty, he would have been the one who was caught. He now felt glad she had taken that spot before him.

"Aw man!" Misty's voice could be heard. "So, was I the last one?"

"No, we're still looking for Ash and Gary." May answered.

"Where could they be? I already looked everywhere." Dawn wondered.

"Let's try downstairs one more time." Drew said, and the four left the room.

Gary felt like cheering. They were never going to find him! They would give up, and then he would triumphantly emerge from his spot. Sure, he was really starting feel cramped, but it was worth it!

Few minutes turned to half an hour before Dawn, Drew, May and Misty began calling out to them. "We give up! You can come out now!"

Gary grinned widely as he began standing up. But then he tripped.

"Come on, Ashy-boy!" he said irritatedly. "They're calling us!" Ash, who still hadn't gotten up, was holding down part of the bedsheets with him, preventing Gary from getting up properly.

"I can't! My foot's stuck!" Apparently, a corner of the sheet had twisted around his ankle, making it hard for him to come out from his hiding place. Gary scowled, but still tried to remove the sheet from Ash's foot, because if Ash couldn't get up, then Gary couldn't either.

They struggled under the sheets a bit, before Ash's foot was finally rescued. Then, putting on a victorious smirk, Gary began to lift the cover from his head. But there was one problem. He couldn't find the way out from underneath those bedsheets!

"Um, Gary? Can you help me out of here?" It appeared that Ash was trapped as well.

"No, 'cause I need get out of here first!" Gary failed once again to escape. The sheets had twisted around them in such a way that escape seemed impossible.

"What do we do now?" Ash questioned. "We can't stay like this forever!"

"Of course not!" Gary snapped, feeling that this was all somehow Ash's fault. "We just need to think a bit..."

"Maybe the others will help us out." Ash reasoned. "Let's go find them."

Gary was very reluctant to go with what Ash had said. It would ruin the whole effect! Instead of appearing impressive and triumphant, he'd just be humiliated. They others would probably laugh at him for getting stuck in his own hiding spot. But there didn't seem to be a better solution, so, begrudgingly, he set out with Ash to find the other four.

It was very difficult to see where they were heading, and they kept stumbling as the sheets got caught in their feet, and there always seemed to be something that got in their way. They bumped into a small table, causing the vase on top of it to come crashing to the floor.

Meanwhile, Dawn, Drew, May and Misty were wondering why the two boys hadn't showed up yet. They called a couple more times, before being interrupted by a loud crash.

May jumped at the sudden noise. "What was that?" she asked worriedly.

"No need to worry, it's probably nothing." Dawn tried to assure her, although she was a bit puzzled herself.

"It sounded like something falling." Drew figured.

"Those two better not be messing things up!" Dawn said angrily. "I made those rules for a reason!"

"Let's go see." Misty began making her way upstairs to where the sound had come from.

When she got upstairs, she saw a strange sight. There was something big and white making its way towards her, making odd, muffled sounds as it moved in a funny, lopsided manner. With Gary's story from earlier still being fresh in her mind, the first thought that came to her was...

"GHOST!" Misty's scream got Drew, Dawn and May scrambling to her side.

"G-g-g-ghost!" Dawn shrieked, pointing at the white creature.

"Let's get out of here!" Drew yelled, and they ran into the nearest room, which turned out being the bathroom.

"Okay, so what do we do?" Misty wondered anxiously, looking pale.

"I don't wanna go to the ghost's grave!" May whimpered.

The door creaked open, revealing the covered figure on the other side. To the four friends' horror, it began to enter the bathroom after them. May and Dawn screamed in fear, while Drew backed off, and Misty got ready to fight.

"Go away!" Dawn shrieked, throwing a toothbrush at it.

"Hey, that's my toothbrush!" Misty said, clearly annoyed.

"Misty?" A muffled voice was emitted from the ghost. May gasped loudly.

"It's got Ash!" she hollered. "We have to save him!"

"Give Ash back!" Drew yelled, his fear evaporating as he stepped forward.

"Get it!" Misty let out a battle cry as she launched herself onto the ghost, knocking it to the ground, and pushing it from the doorway into the hall. Drew joined her, helping her hold it down. The ghost let out yells of protest and fought back, kicking and struggling.

"May, Dawn, help me!" Misty called out, and the two girls joined them, trying to hold onto whatever part of the ghost they could snatch on to.

"Ouch, that's my HAIR!" the ghost yelled. The others paused. It had hair?

"Wait a minute..." Drew began tugging on the white sheets, and, with the others helping him, he soon uncovered two heads: Gary's and Ash's.

"Ash? Gary?" Misty said incredulously.

"Oww..." Gary moaned as he rubbed his hair. "What did you attack us for?"

"That hurt..." Ash tried to separate himself from the sheets.

"Kids?" The six friends looked up to see that Dawn's mother had arrived on the scene. "What are you doing? I was busy on the computer, but once I heard all of you yelling and screaming, I got here as fast as I could."

The six looked at their feet, feeling guilty for worrying Dawn's mother.

"We're just playing. Sorry for bothering you, Mrs. Berlitz." Drew apologized politely.

Dawn's mother smiled tiredly. "It's okay. It's great that you guys are having fun, but it's getting late. You guys should start getting ready for bed." The six kids nodded.

Johanna helped her daughter, Dawn, and her friends spread the bedsheets on the floor again, and make a comfortable sleeping area with the blankets and pillows. Soon, the lights were out, and six eight-year-olds were whispering amongst one another, none of them feeling sleepy.

This, they decided, was the best sleepover they had ever had.

* * *

**Done! So how was it?  
**

**Just a little side note: this chapter was based on a suggestion by _Bluewolfbat_. So the sleepover and ghost-bedsheets idea was not mine (I don't want to take all the credit for that).**

**Okay, so I wanted to tell you guys that this month is going to be very busy for me, and that means I am going to have less writing time. I really like writing for this and updating for you guys, but unfortunately, I am going to have to change my update schedule to once a week. How about either Saturday or Sunday? I might still update more than once from time to time, depending on how many chapters I manage to complete, but my goal for now has become once a week. I'm sorry! I just thought I should let you guys know.**

**Please review, and thanks for reading!**

**Bye bye for now! And have a smiling day! :)**


	15. Picnic Day

**Hello everyone! So here is today's update, and the last Thursday update. I said in the last chapter's author's note that I'm changing my update schedule to once a week, on either Saturday or Sunday, so my next update will be on one of those days. Not the upcoming weekend, the one after.  
**

**Okay, let's get on with the chapter!**

**Disclaimer: I do not own Pokemon in any way, shape or size!**

* * *

**Picnic Day  
**

**Grade Two  
**

**May (7), Drew (8), Gary (8), Ash (8), Misty (8), Paul (8)**

The day promised clear skies and warm weather, and the grade two students couldn't be more thrilled. After all, how would they have managed to have a great picnic field trip if it were raining all the time?

Grade two was going to a park as a class for a picnic. The park had a large picnic area with benches, and a large lake that was known for the many Psyduck that swam in it. There were also wide, open spaces covered in grass, and trees that surrounded the entire area.

The teachers that had come along to supervise asked that all students stay in pairs at all times. This was no difficult task for May, Drew, Gary, Ash, Misty and Paul. The six of them were best friends, and since there was an even number of them, it was not hard to figure out how they should pair up. Gary and Paul made one pair, while May and Drew made another, and then finally, Ash and Misty.

They started out with outdoor activities, like the three-legged race. Everyone tied their leg with their partner's, and tried to keep themselves balanced as they made their way to the finish line.

Drew and May had perfect balance, but they weren't fast enough. They found themselves being left behind as a bunch of other pairs passed them.

"Hurry, Drew, we're gonna lose!" May urged, speeding up a bit.

"Slow down, May!" They were starting to go a bit out of rhythm now.

"Come on, Slowpoke! We can still win!"

"May, look out for the-" Drew warned her too late. May stumbled over a large rock that was in the way, and the two ended up in a heap on the ground.

"Aww man, November!" Drew complained as he got up and dusted himself.

"My name is May!"

Up ahead, a few pairs remained standing, but only two seemed to have a chance at winning. Ash and Misty's pair, as well as Gary and Paul's were ahead of everyone else. These two teams were neck in neck as they headed for the finish line.

Ash, being determined, and Misty, being athletic, were doing very well, and were the perfect team partners. However, Gary and Paul were too, and to win, Misty knew that they would have to speed up. She attempted to, but her sudden change of pace broke their rhythm, causing Ash to stumble and bring Misty down with him.

"If it had been Leaf, we wouldn't have fallen." Misty quietly grumbled. Misty had met Leaf through Ash and Gary. Since they were both about the same age, and lived in the same neighbourhood (along with Ash and Gary) they hung out often and got along really well.

Gary and Paul eventually crossed the finish line to win. Paul settled for smirking victoriously, while Gary went on a boasting spree, working hard to rub it into everyone's face, especially Ash's.

They all continued with games for a while, often dividing into teams of four or more for some of the activities. Ash and Misty got to be winners when their team won capture-the-flag. Gary bragged that the reason his team won tug-of-war was due to his amazing strength, although Paul and some other boys, like Stephan, who were on his team, were evidently stronger than him. May's team ended up doing really well in the scavenger hunt, and was the only team that managed find a bandana from the list.

* * *

The six friends sat at a bench together, joined by a couple of other classmates, while the teachers served the food. They had all enjoyed the activities (even Drew, although May's clumsiness had cost them some of the games), and were now glad they could relax and have lunch.

"That was really fun!" Ash said happily, as a teacher placed two sandwiches and some vegetables into his plate. He began eating immediately.

"Yeah," May agreed, "but I wish we could have won more."

"You're the reason we lost so many games." Drew accused, but in a playful way.

"You didn't lose every game, though." Ash pointed out, his mouth full. "You won sometimes when you were in teams."

"But _I_ won most of the time!" Gary bragged. "Right, Paul?" Paul didn't answer because he was currently too busy drinking orange juice through a straw from his juice box.

"No, please." Misty said politely to a teacher, who was about to put some vegetables into her plate. "I don't like carrots and peppers."

"That's funny!" Gary laughed. "Because your head is like a carrot!" His reference to her orange hair resulted with him getting a hard whack on his head.

* * *

Later, the six friends were walking along the lake's shore.

"Look at all the Pokemon!" Ash pointed to the many Psyduck swimming in the water.

"They're water type." Misty noted. Water type Pokemon were her favourite, after all.

"They're Psyduck." Gary said. "My grandpa told me."

"Look!" May giggled. A Psyduck was poking its head out of the water right in front of them, staring at May.

"I think it wants your sandwich." Drew pointed at the sandwich May was holding.

"But it's _my_ sandwich!" May whined, unwilling to share it.

"Aw, come on, May! Just give it a little piece." Ash urged.

"Okay... Here you go, then." May reluctantly handed a piece over to the yellow Pokemon. Suddenly, another popped up.

"You want one too?" It received a piece as well. But then another arrived.

Before May knew it, she was being swarmed by a flock of Psyduck. To make matters worse, her sandwich was all gone.

"I don't have anymore!" she yelled as she tried to run away, but it seemed the Pokemon didn't understand. Eventually, a teacher had to shoo them off.

"Hey, Misty." Ash pointed to something at his friend's feet. "I think that Psyduck likes you." There was one last Psyduck left outside the water, and for some reason, it was standing beside Misty.

"I don't have any food with me. So go back into the water." Misty told the Pokemon. It just stood there, holding its head as if it had a headache, staring up at her blankly. Misty started to walk away, but it began waddling after her.

"I don't have anything." Misty informed it again.

"Psy?" It tilted its head, as if to ask "Nothing?"

"Yes, now you understand." But it didn't, because it continued following.

"Go away, you dumb Psyduck!"

"Psy-yie-yie."

"I said go away!"

The Pokemon continued following her for the rest of the picnic. It wouldn't even go away when a teacher tried to scare it off.

* * *

"I thought you liked water Pokemon." Ash commented as everyone waited for the bus that would take them back to school.

"Well, I don't like dumb Psyduck that follow you around everywhere!" Misty was getting really annoyed. It was _still_ standing beside her.

"But it's so cute!" May gushed.

"It looks like it's lost. Maybe it wants directions from you." Drew theorized.

"The lake is right there! How can it be lost?"

"Maybe it thinks you're its mom." Gary joked. "You do look just like it!" That earned him a second whack that day.

"At least I won't have to put up with it anymore." Misty sighed in relief as the bus arrived. They all got on, and May and her friends went to sit in the back seats. Soon, they were on their way.

Everyone on the bus was discussing their day, when suddenly, Paul, who had just been quietly listening to their chatter the whole time, spoke up.

"It's still following you, Misty." Misty looked at him confusedly before realizing that he was not looking at her, but out the back window. She looked too, and sure enough, a yellow blob could be seen in the distance, making its way to them.

"WHAT?!" Looked like the Psyduck was determined to follow her home.

* * *

**Oh Psyduck! That funny yellow duck that would pop out of its pokeball at the most inconvenient times. Misty actually didn't catch Psyduck herself in the anime. It was following her, Ash and Brock, and then one of Misty's pokeballs fell and Psyduck just caught itself. So Misty ended up with a Pokemon she didn't really want, but learned to love. Kind of funny.**

**Don't forget: next update will be on either August 16th or 17th, not this upcoming weekend or Monday/Thursday.**

**Please review, and thanks for reading!**

**Bye bye for now! And have a smiling day! :)**


	16. Bake Sale

**Hello, everyone! Nice to see you guys again!  
**

**Sorry for the long wait. I did tell you guys I would be busy! But the good news is, I managed to finish today's chapter! I got so many great reviews from you guys last time, and they were all really motivating, so I wrote at every chance I got until I was done. And since I'm done early, and you guys have been waiting for so long, I'm going to update early! So thanks for both the reviews and being patient. Happy reading! :D  
**

**Disclaimer: I do not own Pokemon in any way, shape or size!**

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**Bake Sale **

**Grade One  
**

**May (6), Drew (6), Paul (6), Gary (6), Ash (6)**

May couldn't wait until lunchtime. Last week, it had been announced that there was going to be a bake sale today at lunch, and that meant May could buy many different kinds of treats for herself. And this was something she was really looking forward to, as she had quite the sweet-tooth.

Finally, _finally_ the bell rang, signalling the end of class and the start of lunch. Only a few kids took out their lunch bags, but everyone else rushed out, being eager to get to the sale as soon as possible. Poor May got pushed to the back of the crowd of children, and was one of the last ones to exist her classroom, along with Drew, who had decided to wait patiently for an opening rather than pushing past the others in an unmannerly fashion.

The hall was crowded with kids, all hoping to get to the sale before all the goodies ran out. May skipped the whole way there, which made the coins in her pocket jingle and bounce, and sound like they were begging to be spent. She dragged her green-haired friend with her, urging him to move faster, since he usually took his time walking to a destination.

When the two finally reached the place they were heading to, they saw three different tables, covered in cookies and brownies and cupcakes and cakes and much more. Each table was attended to by one higher-grade student, who worked quickly to manage his or her customers. Three long lineups had formed, one in front of each table. May decided to get into the line for the table at the far left, while Drew took a place in the line for the middle table.

Gary had reached the front of the line at the far right. He was currently conversing with the person who was on the other side of the table, who happened to be his sister.

"But Daisy, you're my sister!" he whined. "Can't you just give me that cupcake for free?"

Daisy, who was volunteering to sell the treats for the bake sale, sighed. "I already told you; I can't. These aren't mine, and I'm selling them to make money for the school, not myself." she tried to explain for the third time.

"But you already have lots of money!"

"Gary, the others in line are waiting." Daisy was starting to get irritated. "You could have bought this cupcake if you had spent your money wisely, but since you didn't, you can't have them. Now go; you're holding up the line."

Gary, grumbling at getting scolding and not getting the cupcake he wanted, trudged out of the way of a grade two student, who had been waiting impatiently behind him.

Surprisingly, Paul, who was not a fan of overly-sugary (in his opinion), cakey desserts, could also be spotted amongst the other students. He was with his brother, Reggie, who seemed to be asking him for a big favour.

"Please, Paulie?" Reggie pleaded. "Just this once?"

"No." Paul was stubborn. "And don't call me 'Paulie'."

"Pretty please?" Reggie tried again.

"Why can't you do it yourself?" his little brother questioned, refusing once again.

"Well, some of my buddies and I were gonna play this game outside, and we're going to start in a few minutes. Trust me, I normally would buy what I want myself, but I just don't have the time right now." Reggie explained. "So could you _please_...?"

"No. I wanna go eat my lunch."

Reggie sighed. He knew he wouldn't get anywhere like this. It was time to move on to plan B.

"Okay, let's make a deal." The statement from his older brother caught the first-grader's attention.

"So, you go buy me the cake and cookies I want using my money, and I'll let you keep the change." Reggie offered.

Paul didn't agree, as he sensed a loophole that he just couldn't catch.

"Fine." Reggie gave in. "If there is no change, I'll give you three dollars when we get home. That sound good?"

Paul finally agreed to the tempting offer, and his brother hurried off to meet with his friends. Paul got into the line on the right, unknowingly cutting in front of another boy in the process. The boy scowled and poked the purple-head to get his attention.

"Hey! This was my spot!" he growled angrily. "I was here first!"

Paul turned around to face the dirty-blond-haired boy, his black eyes, boring into his pale grey ones. He recognized the boy as another first-grader named Trip, though they weren't in the same grade one class.

"Too bad." Paul said monotonously, turning to face the front again. He hadn't realized that the shorter boy had, indeed, been there before him, and he had unintentionally taken his place. All he saw was some whining kid who thought he should be in front of him.

"You can't do that!" Trip complained, but was ignored. He glared at the back of Paul's head. He had been trying to get to the front of the line for a while, but being short, even for a first-grader, people weren't noticing him, and kept taking his place. Now, he had had enough. Instead of staying at the back of the line, he decided that he was going to try to squeeze in somewhere closer to the front.

He looked around, and noted a black-haired boy wearing a cap in the middle line. He knew who that was. It was Ash, another first-grader, and he was known for being very friendly and forgiving, which meant it would be easy to cut in front of him without causing a big argument. Once he saw his chance, Trip slipped in front of his cap-wearing victim.

"Um, I was here before you, so this my spot." Ash informed him.

"Well, you were too slow, so now it's mine." Trip shot back.

"But the teacher says that you're not allowed to do that. You have to go to the back of the line." Ash pointed out.

"No I don't. People kept taking my spot, so it's only fair that I get to take someone else's. Even the teacher would agree." Trip drawled, sounding very knowledgeable.

"Oh, okay." Ash fell for it, and allowed him to stay in the spot that he had apparently 'rightfully' taken. Poor, gullible Ash.

Meanwhile, Drew had finally arrived at the table, where he was about to pick out what he wanted.

"So, what would you like?" the pink-haired girl, who was in charge of that table, asked him.

"I want..." Drew stopped mid-sentence when he saw that he recognized the girl. "Hey, I know you! Your name is, um..."

"Solidad." the girl reminded him. "And you were Drew, weren't you? Nice to see you again!"

"You remember my name?" Drew asked interestedly.

Solidad laughed lightly. "Of course I do!" After all, who could forget that cute, polite, green-haired first-grader who got lost in the halllways?

Drew flipped his hair, beaming at the fact that he had made such an unforgettable impression on one of the 'big-kids'.

In the line to the left, a certain bandana-wearing six-year-old had made it to the table, where she planned to purchase a bunch of delicious desserts to satisfy her sweet-tooth. She was greeted by a teenage boy with a large green hat sitting on his long, purple hair.

"Hello, pumpkin-pie!" he said. "Harley's my name! And you're looking for some yummy goodies, huh, honey-bun?"

"Hi, I'm May!" May introduced herself cheerily. "And I want some, ummmm..." She scanned the table, finding it to be a challenge to make a decision. Her mother had only given her a few dollars, but it didn't seem enough for all the baked goods before her.

"Might I make a suggestion?" Harley offered. May looked up at him curiously.

"Try those!" he gestured to a plate full of Cacturne-shaped cookies. "I made them myself for this sale, so I can guarantee that you'd love them!"

"Ooooo! They're pretty scare-looking, aren't they?" May commented.

"Huh? Well, if you say so." Harley forced a large smile on his face, but he couldn't help but take a little offense at her words. _Scary-looking? I thought they were pretty cute. And Solidad agreed with me... _he thought irritatedly.

May pulled out the coins her mother had given her that made up five dollars. She held them in her hand, her mind still not made up.

"Tell you what! How about I give you a little sample?" Harley suggested. "You can see if you like it or not, and if you want more, you can buy some."

May's eyes shone eagerly as she reached out for the free sample Harley was handing to her. She nibbled the head of the Cacturne-cookie.

"This is really yummy!" she exclaimed. "Can I have another one?"

Harley grinned. He knew his plan to get her to buy his cookies would work! "Ah ah ah!" he wagged his finger, winking. "You're going to have to pay if you want some more, sugar-plum!"

"Oh." Instead of handing over her money like he was expecting her to, May turned to the other treats on the table. "Can I have that big chocolate muffin and two of those chocolate-chip cookies?"

Harley blinked. "But... I thought you said you wanted more of _my_ cookies."

"No, it's okay. I already have one." May held up her unfinished sample. "I want something else now."

Harley begrudgingly handed over what she had ordered and collected her money.

"You have some change left over." he informed her. "It's enough for another Cacturne-cookie, so if you want, you could..."

"Can I have that brownie, too?" May asked, pointing to what she had chosen.

"No Cacturne-cookie?" Harley was starting to get really annoyed. He had practically given her a free cookie, but she wasn't interested in buying any more herself!

"Your cookies weren't half-bad, but I like brownies more." May explained, not knowing that she had worsened the offense Harley felt.

Once she received her brownie, May began making her way back to her classroom. When she wasn't looking, Harley whipped out his cell phone and secretly took a picture of her. The nerve of that girl, acting as if his wonderful cookies weren't anything special! He'd make her pay for that some day...

"Um, Mister?" He looked down to see that his next customer, a little grade two girl, was trying to get his attention. "Can I have a free cookie, too?"

"No!" Harley snapped, taking the little girl by surprise.

* * *

Back in their grade one classroom, May, Drew, Gary, Ash, and Paul were gathered with the treats they had bought.

May was nibbling her chocolate muffin, as she had completed her Cacturne-cookie. Her chocolate-chip cookies and brownie, soon to be eaten, were waiting for her on a napkin on her desk.

Drew wasn't feasting on the treats he had bought, because he felt full after finishing his lunch. Instead, the several frosted cupcakes he had purchased were put in some small plastic boxes, so that he could take them home for later.

Gary was munching on a large brownie, purposely in front of Ash, who hadn't managed to buy a brownie because Trip, being in front of him, had bought the last one. He had, however, succeeded in getting a hold of some of the cupcakes that Gary had wanted, and refused to share them with his spiky-haired friend, because he wouldn't share his brownie.

Paul had his older brother's order ready to be picked up, while Paul himself looked forward to the three dollars that had been promised to him.

It had certainly been a satisfactory bake sale.

* * *

**Two new appearances for today, by both Trip and Harley. So, what did you guys think? Was the bake sale indeed satisfactory, as the last line says?  
**

**I had the idea to make Harley's appearance like this for a while now. In fact, I had it even before I wrote the Solidad chapter a while back (Those Confusing Hallways). I just ended up writing this once much later.**

**And Trip came in too! I'm not exactly sure how he ended up in there, but I was thinking about how many kids just cut in line and then he just popped into my head (not sure why though). I guess he kind of seems OOC right now, but I hope I can fix that by eventually including him in another chapter where he is more in-character (and this time with his signature digital camera!). I haven't completely planned out that chapter yet, though.  
(PS. I wasn't exactly sure what colour Trip's hair was, as it always looks kind of green-ish to me, but according to some website, it's dirty-blond. So if you disagreed with me saying his hair is dirty-blond, I just said that because of the website.)**

**Also, I'm doing a little poll on who you think is your favourite out of the main eight. With this information, I can find out things like who I might need to work on, who you guys want more chapters on, stuff like that. Be sure to check my profile to vote!**

**Wow, I talk a lot, don't I? Ironically, I'm actually _very_ quiet. See you during my next update!  
**

**Please review, and thanks for reading!**

**Bye bye for now! And have a smiling day! :)**


	17. Poster Wars

**Hello everyone! And a good day to you all!  
**

**I said last week that I would post a chapter on either Saturday or Sunday, so here it is! Okay, I did update on Thursday (with the chapter I had originally planned to post today), but then I got a suggestion from someone, and I _really_ felt like writing because of it. How I managed to write my longest chapter yet in two days when I was so busy is a mystery, but I think you guys are more interested in reading than wondering how I did it.**

**Today's topic was suggested by _eeveeluvr_, so here it is!  
**

**Disclaimer: I do not own Pokemon in any way, shape or size!**

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**Poster Wars  
**

**Grade Four  
**

**May (9), Gary (9), Paul (9), Drew (9), Misty (9), Ash (9), Dawn (9), Leaf (9)  
**

"Come on, Gary!" May whined. "We're all supposed to be doing this together!"

"Yeah, yeah, in a minute..." Gary responded absentmindedly, as he was more focused on his chess game with Paul.

"You said that half an hour ago!"

May and her seven friends were all gathered at Leaf's house. Their grade four teacher had told everyone to divide into groups of three or four and make a poster on a Pokemon habitat for next week. Initially, these eight had planned to make two groups, one with the boys, and another with the girls, but it seemed they all had different ideas for the poster.

Misty, Gary and Dawn wanted to do a more water-themed poster, while Leaf, Drew and Ash preferred to do a forest-themed one. May had decided to join the water-theme group, because she wanted to do the poster with Dawn, while Leaf had dragged Paul into her group before he could decide. After Gary had bragged that his group would make the best poster, Leaf, being the competitive girl she was, had declared war, with the winner being whoever made the better poster.

And so it was the weekend, and the two groups were all working at Leaf's house, except there was one small problem. Gary brought his chess board over from next door, and challenged Paul to a match, which of course he didn't decline. The two groups were annoyed that one member from each was not working hard on their project.

"Gary, you come help us or else!" Misty threatened.

"Check." Gary warned Paul, who made a move to protect his king.

"Paul, please?" Ash pleaded. "It's not fair that you're not doing any of the work."

"Check's on you now." Paul said, completely ignoring the black-haired boy and smirking at Gary.

Leaf frowned. She didn't get it! What was so interesting about chess that it completely captured the two boys' attention? Especially Gary's! She had known him for nearly her whole life, and she knew that he was not someone who liked to sit around and focus on something so _boring_. One day, he just somehow got interested in checkers, which Leaf never found any competitive excitement in. And then he got into chess, which was ten times worse! He'd just sit there for so long, just staring at the board without _doing_ anything.

Leaf had once tried to play it with him, but she couldn't stand it. Gary had been taking so long just to think out his first move, and then, when she had asked him to hurry up, he had gotten annoyed at her impatience, and beat her in three moves. Apparently, he had picked that move up from somewhere, and used it on Leaf because she kept interrupting his train of thought for a longer, more complicated strategy. The only good thing that came from all that was that Leaf learned what the role of each piece was. She could use this knowledge to her advantage right now.

"Ash," she said, looking at her poster partner. "You are never going to get anywhere by saying 'please' to those two. _This_ is how you do it."

She got up and walked over to the chess-players and carefully scanned all their pieces. Before either of them could do anything, she snatched up what she knew was the most important piece: the king.

Paul's head snapped up. "That's my king, so give it back. _Now_." he demanded. Leaf grinned mischievously as she shook her head and held the piece tightly in her fist behind her back.

"Leafy, how are we supposed to play if Paul doesn't have his king?" Gary complained. "How am I supposed to put him on checkmate?"

"You're not. You guys aren't even supposed to be playing chess right now." Leaf answered.

"Come on, Leafy, I was winning! I was about to defeat him!"

"No, cuz he probably would have noticed your plan and then stopped it, and then the game would have gone on for much longer." Leaf pointed out.

Paul stood up, facing the girl, his black eyes sending a glare at her green ones. "Give. Me. The king."

Leaf stared right back at him, not intimidated one bit. For some reason, his glares never seemed to affect her. "Nope! But let's make a deal. I'll only give it back if you work on the poster with us for at least one hour. Then, after we beat Gary at making the best poster, you can go back to beating him at chess."

"Hey!" Gary scowled. "_I_ was the one who was winning!"

Paul narrowed his eyes, considering her offer, before giving in. "Fine. But you have to give it back right after."

"_Paul!_" Gary pouted. "You could just take it back from her or something!" Paul just rolled his eyes and begrudgingly took his place with his group.

"Good. Now you can come help us too, Gary." Dawn called her spiky-haired friend over.

"Fine." He sat down with his group. "So, what were we doing again?"

Misty glared at him. "You wouldn't be asking that if you were helping us."

"We're doing a Pokemon-water-habitat poster, I know that." Gary said, rolling his eyes. "I mean _how_ are we planning to do it?"

"You would have known that too." Misty muttered.

"Well, we're going to make the ocean, and a little island." Dawn explained. "There are going to be lots of water Pokemon, and some flying type like Wingull and Pelipper flying in the air. And we have to write some information beside everything we make."

"The instructions say that we also have to show things, like the kind of food the Pokemon eat in the area, how they live with the other Pokemon, and things like that." May added.

"Okay, that doesn't sound hard. What should I do?" Gary asked.

"Well, Misty's writing about the water Pokemon, and May and I are drawing the pictures and decorating." Dawn told him. Her eyes lit up in excitement as a thought entered her head. "I know! You can write some Pokemon poetry like your grandpa, Professor Oak!"

Gary groaned. "My grandpa's the one who writes poems. _Not me_."

"Oh, come on! Please?" Dawn urged. "I'm sure you probably know lots of poems because of him!"

"How about I just draw a Blastoise on the island?" Gary suggested, wanting to get off topic. Dawn looked a bit disappointed, but she allowed him to proceed with his idea.

Meanwhile, with Leaf's group...

"Wow, that's a very nice rose, Drew." Leaf complimented.

"Thanks!" Drew didn't take his eyes off of the rose bush he was sketching meticulously.

"Okay, Paul, so what are you going to do?" Leaf asked the purple-haired boy.

"Don't know, don't care." he replied, looking bored.

"Okay, then..." Leaf smirked. "Draw all the cute Pokemon, like the Buneary, that live in the forest."

Paul narrowed his eyes. "No, something else. What are the others doing?"

Drew straightened up to look over his sketches. "I'm drawing all the plants and stuff."

"Drew's drawing all the _green_ plants?" May, who had overheard, commented, bursting into giggles.

"At least you can tell what I'm drawing. I'm not even _sure_ what those scribbles you made are, February." Drew shot back, immediately resulting in a pouting May. Drew flipped his hair victoriously.

"It's not _my_ fault I don't get special art lessons from tutors like you do." the bandana-wearing girl defended. "And my name is May!"

"Don't listen to him." Dawn comforted her. "Your work is beautiful!"

May, in a slightly better mood from her friend's encouragement, but still a little moody, went back to her drawing. Drew felt a bit relieved. He was afraid he had accidentally upset her a bit too much.

"Yeah, yeah, Drew's drawing his hair. What else?" Paul asked impatiently, ignoring the small shout of protest he received from his green-haired friend.

"I'm making all the cool bug Pokemon!" Ash announced excitedly, earning a disgusted look from Misty. "There's Caterpie, and Metapod, and Venonat, and Beedrill, and..."

"And you?" Paul interrupted, turning his attention to Leaf.

"I'm drawing all the other Pokemon, and the doing all the labeling and writing and stuff."

"Fine. I'll do all the writing then. You just draw."

With everyone's role settled, the two groups got to work. They were quiet for a while, as they were pretty busy. Eventually, Gary ended up helping Misty with the writing, as he knew many details that he had picked up from his grandpa. It was discovered that May was actually much better at colouring than drawing, as she added bright colours to Dawn's pictures. Ash had to start helping Drew finish drawing all the plants, as Drew took so much time detailing his sketches instead of working faster. Paul turned out to be very knowledgeable about Pokemon, as he sometimes read his brother's school work about Pokemon Studies. Leaf put many drawings and colours onto their poster, and very neatly too.

Eventually, it looked like everything was done. All the writing and labels were proofread, and all the pictures coloured in. But both groups thought their posters were missing something. Something that would make their work _really_ stand out.

"Glitter!" Dawn whispered to her group members. "We can put glitter to make the water look sparkly!"

"But we don't have glitter." May pointed out, frowning. "And if we ask Leaf, she'll take our idea!"

"My house is next door. I can quickly go see if Daisy has anything." Gary offered.

"Okay, go! And hurry!" Misty urged, and he took off. The other group noticed.

"Looks like they got an idea for their poster." Leaf noted. "Gary probably went to his house to get something. We need to think of something, and fast!"

"This is your house, Leaf." Ash said. "Don't you have any art stuff?"

"Hmm, maybe..." Leaf looked thoughtful. "I know! Wait, I'll be back in a second!" She sped off to another room.

After a while, Leaf and Gary returned, both hiding whatever they had brought to prevent their rival group from seeing it. As they quietly used their 'secret weapons', a loud, delighted whisper emerged from Dawn. "Ooooo, this looks gorgeous! Ours is gonna be the best for sure!"

Leaf, Drew, Ash and Paul curiously glanced at the others. What was so great that they thought they were going to win their little 'contest'? They just had to know!

"We've got to see what they're up to." Leaf declared, taking on the 'leader' role for her group. "We need to now what they're doing so we can make our poster better."

"But how? If we try to peek at their work, they would know we're spying." Drew reasoned.

"What if..." Leaf thought aloud. "What if only one of us goes, and pretends we only need something from them, and then quickly looks at what they are doing, and comes back and tells us!"

"Ash should go." Paul volunteered his black-haired friend. "The others won't think he's smart or sneaky enough to do something like that."

"Hey!" Ash protested. "I can be _very_ smart and sneaky!"

"Good idea though. It makes sense." Drew gave his support. "Ash should definitely go."

"So, what should I do?" Ash asked.

"Just ask them for a green pencil crayon." Leaf directed.

"But we already have enough green pencil crayons. Wouldn't that be like lying?"

"You don't have to say we _need_ one, just ask for one!" Paul said, exasperated.

"And don't forget to get a good look at their poster." Drew reminded him.

"Okay... but wait! Wouldn't that be like cheating?" His three friends groaned.

"Another reason why the others won't suspect anything." Paul muttered. "Too much of a goody-two-shoes."

"Ash, just do it." Leaf ordered, tiredly.

Ash hesitated a bit, but then obeyed. Once the other group spotted Ash approaching them, they hurriedly arranged themselves to block their poster from view.

"Hello..." May said warily.

"What do you want, Ash-boy?" Gary snapped.

"Well, um, I need a... I mean, I want a, um..."

"Just say it!" Misty was annoyed with his stuttering.

"Can I have a green pencil crayon?" Ash finally managed to ask.

"Why?" Gary asked suspiciously.

_Why? _Ash panicked. Why did he need a green pencil crayon? The others never told him what to say in this situation! Ash had to think on the spot himself. What did one do with a green pencil crayon?

"To colour!" he blurted out.

"Wow, way to state the obvious." Gary remarked sarcastically.

"Well, if you knew, then why did you ask?!" Ash demanded angrily.

"You guys already have so many green colours." Dawn pointed out. "Why do you need another one?"

"For our awesome poster!" Ash bragged. "We're going to make it better than yours!"

"Do whatever you want, because we'll win no matter what!" Gary boasted confidently.

"So can I have the pencil?" Ash asked. The other four looked at one another.

"I guess you can." Misty said shrugging.

"I'll just go get it..." As Dawn got up to get the pencil, and the other three turned, Ash quickly got on his tip-toes to steal a glance at their poster. It was hard to see over Gary's spiky hair, but he finally succeeded in catching a glimpse. His eyes widened at the sight, and he straightened out as fast as he could when the others turned towards him again.

"Here you go." Dawn handed him what he was asking for.

"Thanks!" Ash began heading back to his group.

"Bye bye!" May waved after him, and got scolded by Gary for "befriending the enemy".

"So?" Leaf asked Ash impatiently.

"What did you see?" Drew wondered, noting his friend's stunned face.

"They've got... _glitter-glue_!" Ash reported breathlessly.

"_Glitter-glue_?" Drew repeated in awe.

"Where did they get that?" Leaf asked, clearly surprised. With glitter-glue, the others had a huge advantage over them.

"Gary probably got it from his house, duh." Paul pointed out the obvious.

"Their poster looks amazing!" Ash said worriedly. "There are a lot of different colours, and it looks like Dawn might have done the glitter stuff, cuz it's all very neat and not too much."

Leaf's face scrunched up as she tried to think of a plan. She didn't have any glitter in her house, because her mother insisted it would only end up making a mess. The only craft things she had managed to find were pieces of felt, which she and her group had cut up into leaf-shapes and pasted onto the trees of their poster. They needed something more. Something that would really boost the 'amazing-ness' of their work.

"Do you have any stickers? You know, like grass type Pokemon, or plants, or forest stuff? We could use those." Drew suggested.

"Yeah!" Leaf agreed enthusiastically. "I have some Bulbasaur stickers, and some flower ones too. Those will look nice!"

"And we could use beads or something to make a design on the edges of the poster, or beside the labels." Ash gave his idea.

"Yeah, that's a very creative idea, Ash!" Leaf got up. "I'll be right back!"

The other group, the one with May, Dawn, Gary and Misty, saw Leaf get up and leave, and then come back a while later with a small bag, which was most likely filled with more supplies.

"What do you think they're doing?" Dawn pondered.

"Do you think they saw our poster and went to get some glitter for themselves?" May asked.

"Ugh, we fell for their trick!" Misty suddenly realized. "They probably didn't even need a green pencil crayon. Ash was probably just trying to see what we did!"

"They're a bunch of copy-Meowths!" Gary scowled.

"But what if they aren't using glitter like us?" Dawn pointed out reasonably. "What if they got a different, better idea?"

"There's no way we can know for sure." said Misty. "Unless... we do what they did!"

"Huh? What do you mean?" May questioned curiously.

"We should go see exactly what they're up to." Misty explained. "One of us has to go and peek at their work."

"Like a top secret spy?" Gary was interested. But before he could say anything else, there was an excited squeal.

"I'll do it, I'll do it!" May volunteered, an adventurous look in her eye. She joined her index fingers with the opposite hands' thumbs to make a rectangle and looked through it as if it were a camera.

"May's Expeditions are a-go!" she announced.

"Sssh!" Dawn hushed frantically. "They'll hear you!"

May winked before heading over to the others. She crept up behind them quietly, trying to peek over their heads. They were so absorbed with whatever they were doing, that they didn't notice her presence, until she stumbled when she accidentally stepped on the chess board that was still lying there.

"What are you doing here, April?" Drew interrogated as he faced her. The others tensed and did their best to hide their work from view.

"Oh, nothing." May's innocent smile was unconvincing. "Just, you know, minding my own business..."

"It doesn't look like that to me." Paul spoke up. "Why are you 'minding your own business' all the way over here?"

"Well, you see..." May hesitated. "I thought I forgot something here, but I was trying to be careful not to bother you guys, or else you might think I'm spying."

Ash relaxed, but the others appeared unconvinced.

"What did you lose?" Leaf sharply demanded.

"My pencil." May blurted out the first thing that came to her mind. _Nice going, May. _she thought to herself._ Now they'll know I'm lying, since Ash already used the 'I need a pencil' excuse._

"Your pencil?" Leaf sounded unbelieving.

"Yeah. It's red, so could you check if it's somewhere around here?"

"There isn't any red pencil here, other than ours." Paul said coldly without even looking.

"Oh, really? That's too bad..." May tried to appear crest-fallen.

Ash looked sincerely sorry, while Drew, who was starting to fall for her act, began feeling a bit guilty. Leaf was starting to seem a bit unsure of whether to believe her bandana-wearing friend or not, though she still seemed more doubtful, but Paul hadn't been affected by her 'heart-breaking' story at all.

"Yeah, too bad. Now leave." Paul ordered unsympathetically.

"O-okay." May lowered her head so her bangs fell over her eyes. Drew, feeling increasingly guilty about making her unhappy, although he had nothing to do with her 'tragic lost pencil', peeled off a sticker of a rose from Leaf's sticker sheet.

"Here." he said, presenting his 'sad' friend with it. "You can have this, if you want."

May blinked. She hadn't been expecting that. "Thank you, Drew. It's such a pretty flower!"

"It's not for _you_, September." Drew said quickly, feeling he was being _too_ nice to his 'enemy'. "It's for... your pencil, once you've found it. It's red right? A rose sticker might look good on it."

"Oh." May frowned a bit as she took the gift. "And my name is May!

Paul rolled his eyes and turned to the girl. "Now go away."

As she left, Leaf glared at Drew. "I was gonna use that sticker for the poster!"

Meanwhile, May's group was awaiting her report.

"I didn't get to see their poster." May admitted. "But there were some beads lying around, and some bits of felt, and they have stickers too, cuz Drew gave me one."

"Wow, they have a lot of stuff..." Misty said.

"Do you know what we need? Gel pens!" Dawn said excitedly. "We can use it to make our title at the top stand out even more!"

"Good news." Gary stated, looking in the small bag he had brought the glitter-glue in. "There are gel pens in here. Daisy must have known we might need them."

"Okay everyone!" Misty punched her fist in the air. "Let's get to work!"

* * *

"Oops! I forgot!" Leaf giggled as she remembered something. The eight of them were having lunch at the table now. After a long time of working hard, they had completed their posters, but the problem was, both groups insisted that theirs was the best. Finally, they decided on having their teacher's opinion be the final word.

Leaf turned to Paul. "I didn't give you your king back. And you worked with us for way more than just one hour!"

"You mean this king?" Paul pulled out the piece from his pocket.

Leaf blinked. "How did you get that from me?" She just got a shrug as a response.

"Wait, so if you remembered about that, why did you continue working with us after the hour was over?"

"I forgot what strategy I was going to use on Gary."

"Oh."

"You would have lost anyways, so it's not like that would have made a difference." Gary bragged arrogantly.

"We'll see about that. Let's go continue our match right now." Paul challenged, standing up.

"You're on!" Gary stood up too.

"Um, actually..." May fidgeted with her fingers. "I might have maybe accidentally stepped on the board and messed up your game."

The two boys groaned and slumped back down on their chairs.

"Wow, October, you're such a klutz." Drew commented, smirking.

"No, I'm not!" May pouted. "And it's May!"

* * *

It was the day the poster was due. Colourful posters, presenting different Pokemon habitats, could be seen everywhere in the classroom, each done by a different group of students, but there were two particular posters that stood out.

The eight friends were divided into two groups, one that was made by Leaf, Ash, Paul and Drew, and the other by Gary, Dawn, May and Misty. Each proudly presented their poster to the teacher, Mr. Robertson, who was clearly impressed.

"Wow!" he marveled. "These are just amazing! So creative! How did you guys manage it?"

The poster made by Leaf's group was forest-themed. It showed a small clearing surrounded by trees, and Pokemon, plants, and many different berries could be seen in either the clearing, or the surrounding shrubbery, which had been sketched artistically and in detail by Drew. The trees had some felt leaves, and beads and stickers created a wonderful-looking border for the whole poster.

Gary's group's poster was water-themed. It showed the ocean, with a small island in the middle. Many different water type Pokemon could be seen either swimming in the water or resting on the island. Glitter-glue had been used to outline the ocean waves, and gel pens to decorate the title and outline some of the Pokemon. Artificial sea shells had been glued on to decorate the island and the corners of the poster (the sea shells had been added on Sunday night by Gary with the help of Daisy. His team members were thrilled at the addition, while the other group thought it was unfair).

"Which one do you like better?" Leaf asked, trying to sound casual.

"Well, really, I can't decide. They're both excellent!"

Both groups were unsatisfied.

"If you could only choose one, which one would you choose?" Gary made an attempt to get Mr. Robertson to reveal his favourite.

"Only one? Well, I don't think I will be able to pick between these two..."

"Can you try?" Leaf pleaded.

"I'm sorry guys, but both of these are great. I can't spend all day trying to decide; I have a class to teach!" With that, the eight were sent back to their desks.

* * *

"What do we do now?" Misty pondered aloud at recess. If the teacher wouldn't tell them which one was the best, how would they know who the winner was?

"We can call it a draw." May proposed, as, honesty, she really liked both posters.

"A draw?" Ash considered the idea.

"No way!" Leaf declined. "There has to be a winner!"

"Yeah!" Gary chimed in. "And it's me!"

"No way! Ours was _way_ better!"

"Nuh uh!"

"We could all be winners." Dawn tried to break it up.

"That's like the same as a draw!" Gary pointed out.

"Why don't you guys try to be the best at something else?" Drew suggested wisely.

"Like what?" Leaf asked.

"Like annoying Paul!" Gary joked. "I can annoy him the best!"

"I can _hurt_ you the best." Paul threatened, making Gary step back, his grin faltering.

"I was kidding..."

"Why do you guys even want to be the best? I mean, it was fun just making the posters." May reasoned.

"Yeah, we should do it again some time." Ash said.

"That's it!" Leaf exclaimed. "We can make more posters, and then we can see who has the best out of _those_!"

"It's gonna be mine for sure! But at my house, this time." Gary quickly said.

As Leaf and Gary discussed the continuation of the poster-war, the other six shook their heads. When was this going to end?

* * *

**Whew! Hope you guys enjoyed that, because I certainly enjoyed writing it!**

**A reminder: in case you guys didn't see my author's note from last chapter, there is a poll on my profile, so be sure to check that out! I'm planning to close it in maybe about two weeks. One thing though. I realized that readers without profiles can't vote on polls, but then a guest reviewer gave me their 'vote' as a review. So you can do that if you don't have a profile (you can call yourself a guest or guest voter if you want to make it anonymous).  
**

**Also, school is going to start soon, which is going to cut my writing-time by a lot! Just thought I'd warn you. However, whenever I get a suggestion in a review/PM, I get inspired and really motivated to start writing, and sometimes manage to quickly write out a whole chapter (usually in about two to three days, though it might take longer depending on how much free time I have). So suggestions might be what I need sometimes.**

**Please review, and thanks for reading!**

**Bye bye for now! And have a smiling day! :)**


	18. The Lab

**Hello, wonderful readers! **

**Wow, I got so many suggestions this time! Thanks everyone, you guys are great! I love updating for you guys, so how about instead of an update schedule, I just update whenever I want? Besides, school is going to really limit my writing-time, meaning I'm going to try to update as much as I can before then.  
**

**Here is today's topic, as suggested by _jg13145_. Happy reading!  
**

**Disclaimer: I do not own Pokemon in any shape, way or size!**

* * *

**The Lab  
**

**Kindergarten **

**May (5), Drew (6), Gary (6), Paul (6)**

Everyone was chattering non-stop on the bus. May's kindergarten class was having a field trip, and everyone was excited. They were all going to Professor Oak's lab, where they were going to meet real-life Pokemon researchers, and even some Pokemon too! Of course, pretty much everyone on the bus had already had some kind of interaction with a Pokemon before, but nonetheless, it was still something to look forward to.

"We're going to _my grandpa's_ lab!" Gary reminded everyone loudly. "I go there all the time, so I know everything about it!" Naturally, most of the kids had gotten tired of hearing his boasts, and were trying to ignore him.

"Are there lots of Pokemon there?" May asked, sounding a bit anxious for some reason.

Gary, oblivious to the fact that May was sounding a bit worried, nodded his head enthusiastically. "Yeah! Lots and lots!"

"We're here!" their teacher, Ms. Kelly, announced when the bus stopped in front of a large hill. She, and a couple of parent volunteers, got all the students to arrange themselves in an orderly line as they headed up the stairs to the lab at the top of the hill.

"Why, hello there!" Professor Oak, who was waiting for them, greeted cheerily. "How nice of all of you to come!"

"It was very nice of you to invite us here, Professor Oak." Ms. Kelly said, smiling brightly.

"Hi, Grandpa!" Gary said loudly, hoping to get special attention.

"Hi Gary. Now, is everyone ready to come inside?" This was followed by a loud cheer. "Good! Now follow me."

They were all led into the lab. Many of the other workers, like the professor's assistants, were busy at work, organizing papers, getting from place to place, and carrying boxes around. Gary waved and greeted everyone he recognized to show off how much he knew everyone there to the other kids. As they walked, Drew noticed that May was sticking to the back of the line.

"What's wrong?" he asked worriedly. Did she accidentally hurt her foot and couldn't keep up with everyone else?

"Nothing!" May answered quickly. She tried to look as happy as she usually was.

"Why are you at the back?"

"I don't know..."

"Drew, May, please stay with the class." Ms. Kelly called out. The two were falling behind. When they reached the group, they found themselves facing four men. One of them was Professor Oak, but not even Gary seemed to recognize the other three.

"I would like all of you to meet some special friends of mine." Professor Oak gestured to the other three. "They are scientists as well, and they decided to join us for today. Say hello to Professor Elm, Professor Birch, and Professor Rowan."

"Hello, everyone." The man with brown hair and glasses scanned his audience. "I am Professor Elm, as Professor Oak here already mention. I specialize in research concerning Pokemon breeding. It's all very interesting, as Pokemon and Pokemon eggs are one of the great mysteries of the Pokemon world. You'll see that there are some Pokemon that know certain moves because of their parents, and that Pokemon eggs seem to hatch at different times. Some hatch quicker than others, while some take much longer! Now, in my latest research..."

"Ahem!" The scary-looking scientist with white hair and a bushy mustache cleared his throat loudly to put a stop to Elm's rambling.

"I guess I'll go next, then!" The large professor with brown hair stepped forward. "I'm Professor Birch, and I study Pokemon habitats. Pokemon live in many different environments, so I study what kind they prefer, how they live there, and why they choose that specific area. Remember, Pokemon of the same type do not always prefer living in the same area!"

"I guess I should introduce myself now." The elderly scientist, who had interrupted Elm earlier, spoke up when Birch was finished talking. "I am Professor Rowan, and I focus on Pokemon evolution. Pokemon can evolve into something completely different from their original form. Some can gain new typing when they evolve, and some only evolve when certain conditions are met. There is even evidence that there might be a different kind of evolution. Pokemon evolution is one of the greatest mysteries of the Pokemon world, and we are constantly discovering new things about it."

"What _I_ study," Professor Oak said, "is Pokemon and human interaction. We live in a world where there are many Pokemon, and I study how we live alongside them.

"Now, as some of you may already know, when you turn ten years old, you are allowed to pick one Pokemon partner. You can use this Pokemon to sometimes catch or battle other Pokemon, but it is mostly for protection.

"When you will reach grade five, you will start a subject called Pokemon Studies, which focuses entirely on Pokemon-related topics. In much higher grades, you can start taking Pokemon battling or coordinating classes. If you study hard, you can become a Pokemon trainer or coordinator, if you want to do one of those as a profession."

"What Pokemon do you get when you turn ten?" a little girl asked.

"Ah, I was getting to that! You usually get a choice out of three, and your options depend on where you live." Oak answered. "Would you like to meet the Pokemon?"

"YEAH!" the class chorused.

"Okay then! If I am the one presenting you with your starter, here are the options I'll give you!"

Professor Oak took out three pokeballs and let out the Pokemon in them. One was an orange lizard with a flame on its tail. The second one was on all four feet and had a big bulb on its back. The last one was a blue turtle with a hard shell.

"Say hello to Charmander, Bulbasaur, and Squirtle!"

"Squirtle's the one that becomes a Blas-toy!" Gary informed his friends knowledgeably.

"If you get a Pokemon from me, you get to choose from Chikorita, Cyndaquil, and Totodile." Professor Elm said as he let out three more Pokemon.

"From me, you can get either Treecko, Torchic, or Mudkip!" Professor Birch revealed another three.

"And finally, Turtwig, Chimchar, or Piplup from me." Professor Rowan let out the final three.

The kindergarteners gathered around, all admiring the twelve Pokemon before them.

"Do you have to pick your starter from only these ones?" Drew asked.

"Yes, of course Drew." Gary answered rolling his eyes, acting as if it were the most obvious thing the world. "I mean, what else would you pick?"

"Actually, no." Professor Oak corrected his grandson. "There are many other professors that give different starters. Or someone who turned ten might have received a different starter entirely, like if it were a gift, or a Pokemon he or she was already friends with."

"Whew, that's good!" Drew said, relieved. "Cuz I have a friend Budew that lives in my garden, and I already promised it that I would make it my partner."

"Hello there!" Professor Birch noted May, who was standing off to the side. "Don't you want to see the Pokemon?"

May nervously glanced over at the starters and shook her head. "No thank you."

"Why not?"

"She's scared of Pokemon." Paul, who was carefully observing the Turtwig, stated in a bored way.

"N-no I'm not!" May protested quickly, wondering how in the world Paul had found out. Truth was, she had entered an anti-Pokemon phase. A recent incident with some Tentacool had not helped either.

"There is no reason to be afraid!" Birch assured her. "Come on, I'll show you. These guys are really friendly!"

Holding her hand, he led her over to the Mudkip.

"This is Mudkip. Look at how cute it is!"

May crouched down to get a clear view of its face. It stared back curiously at her before smiling. "Mudkip!" May shyly smiled back. Maybe it wasn't too bad after all...

"See? Everything's fine! Now, Mudkip is a water type, so it can use moves like Water Gun attack..."

Mudkip, upon hearing its name in the same sentence as the name of a move looked startled for a second, before it let out a blast of water... right at May's face!

The poor girl jumped back, shrieking, and she ran as far as she could from it. "No! No!"

"W-wait!" Birch called out, holding the sides of his head with his hands. "That was an accident; it didn't mean it!"

"Grandpa," Gary turned to Professor Oak. "How does a small Squirtle become a huge Blas-toy?"

"That's what Professor Rowan is researching. Squirtle evolves into Wartortle, which later becomes Blastoise, all through hard training. But we are still not completely sure how or why that happens. Even with years of research, it still remains to be one of the greatest mysteries of all time."

Gary turned to Professor Rowan. He looked very old, maybe even older than his grandpa! Did he really study evolution for so long without finally understanding it?

Later, the professors led the students outside, where there were many different Pokemon of all shapes and sizes. They were only allowed to stay in certain areas, as some of the Pokemon weren't as friendly as others. May, however, absolutely refused to step outside, even in the safe zones, as she was convinced a big Pokemon would attack her.

Finally, after spending the day meeting new Pokemon, checking out the professor's lab, and learning many new facts, it was time to go. It seemed everyone had enjoyed themselves immensely, though some more than others (May only had fun when there weren't any Pokemon in the same room as her), and they were all reluctant to leave. But, alas, they couldn't stay there forever, and found themselves, once again, chattering non-stop on the bus on the way back.

* * *

**So the kindergarteners meet the starter Pokemon. **

**In the anime, May didn't like Pokemon when she first started out, which is why she doesn't really like them right now. I imagine she'll start liking them more as time passes. Gary also becomes a bit interested in Pokemon evolution (since in the anime, he decides to become a scientist focusing on evolution). And I got Professor Rowan to hint at mega evolution (when he said there might be a different kind of evolution). I thought since the sixth generation is currently in progress, why not?**

**Thanks again for the suggestions! One thing I noticed was that two of them were concerning the fact that ten-year-olds go on their journey. The thing is, that in this AU, they actually _don't_ go on their journey when they turn ten (they're too young!), but instead after they finish special Pokemon-related courses in school. Kind of like how Oak explained it in this chapter. I considered changing it so they _do_ go on their journey when they turn ten, but then realized it's too late, because I already mentioned the higher grades, and that some people, who should have been trainers by now (Reggie, Solidad, etc), are still in school. But they still get a Pokemon partner at age ten, so I can still pull off the suggestions I got. Thanks again!**

**A reminder for the poll, and please review, and thanks for reading!**

**Bye bye for now! And have a smiling day! :)**


	19. Diving Board

**Hello, everyone! Time for another chapter!**

**Today's topic was a suggestion by a guest reviewer. Happy reading!**

**Disclaimer: I do not own Pokemon in any way, shape or size!**

* * *

**Diving Board  
**

**(Summer before) Grade Three  
**

**May (8), Drew (8), Misty (8), Ash (8), Gary (8), Leaf (8), Paul (8)**

School had not started yet, and it was a hot summer day, so Drew found it to be the perfect opportunity to have a small swimming pool party. At his mansion, he had a huge swimming pool, which was the perfect place to spend the hot afternoon, and so he invited his best friends May, Gary, Paul, Ash, Leaf, and Misty.

Misty, of course, was thrilled at being invited, as she loved the water, and often entered swimming competitions. She and everyone else accepted, and all arrived at his mansion on the planned day.

"Whoa!" Gary, who had come to the pool after changing into his swim-suit, took in the sight. The pool was huge, with two diving boards, a high one and a low one, and a water slide.

"You like it?" Drew, who had already changed into his shorts, was lying on one of the chairs that were on one side of the pool.

"Awesome!" Gary looked around, smirking. "Since the others aren't done changing yet, looks like I get the first jump in the pool!'

The spiky-haired boy stood at the edge, stretching, and positioning himself so that he could jump in perfectly. Unfortunately for him, Paul chose that exact moment to show up, and pushed him in with one hand as he passed by behind him.

"_Paul_!" Gary whined, gasping as his head emerged from under the water. "You ruined my perfect jump!"

Paul just shrugged and laid himself down on the chair next to Drew.

"Amazing!" Misty arrived and gaped at the magnificent pool. "Wow, Drew, it's way bigger than my pool at home!"

"Of course it is! He _does_ live in a mansion after all." Leaf appeared at Misty's side.

"Wow! We should come here every summer day!" May marveled as she arrived as well.

"Well, what are we waiting for?" Ash had showed up. "Cannonball!"

The black-haired boy got a running start and launched himself into the water, creating a huge splash.

"Hey, watch it!" Paul warned, as some of the water landed on him.

"Oh, come on, Paul! It's a pool party; you're supposed to get wet!" Ash pointed out.

"Only if you actually go in the pool." Paul shot back. "Now don't bother me." He lay back down, with his arm over his eyes, possibly to take a nap.

"Come on, everyone! Jump in!"

May slowly slipped into the water, while Leaf followed Ash's example and created a huge splash, making sure she got plenty of water on Gary's and Ash's heads. Misty, however, eyed the diving boards.

"I'm gonna dive in!" she announced. "I really want to try that high one!"

"There's no way you can do it." Gary scoffed. "You're going to get scared going up that high. Just spare yourself the embarrassment and do the low one."

Misty's eyes sparked. "Yes, I can!"

"No, I don't think so."

"Wanna bet?"

"Sure! If you don't Pidgey-out, I'll, um, I'll do it too!"

"Fine!"

"But if you _do_ get scared, then when school starts, you have to go to the front of the classroom, and yell, 'Gary Oak is the best, smartest guy in the whole world!'."

"WHAT?!"

"What's the matter? You don't think you can do it?"

"Of course I can!"

"So, you accept?"

"Yes! In fact, I'll go dive in right now!"

"I'll be watching!"

"You do that!"

Misty stomped to the ladder of the high diving board. She had never dived in from this height before, and as she climbed higher and higher, a near-inaudible voice in her head questioned whether she really _could_ manage to do it. After all, not even the diving board for the pool at her house, which was actually pretty high, was _this_ high. But she, being stubborn, wasn't about to back down now, and on she went, heading for the top, not showing any hesitation.

Everyone seemed to be watching now, wondering how all this would turn out. Drew was sitting up, eager to see the end result, while Ash was cheering Misty on, clearly thinking she would win the bet. May observed anxiously, worried about how Misty would accomplish such a challenge, opposite of how Leaf felt, as she appeared to have full confidence in her friend. Even Paul seemed mildly interested, as his arm had traveled from his eyes to the top of his head so that he could watch the show too.

Gary smirked. "She's just being stubborn. She's gonna choke at the last second."

"Don't be too sure!" Leaf pointed at Misty, who was now standing at the tip of the diving board. "You're gonna get creamed for that bet, Gary. I'm going to love seeing _you_ freeze up when _you_ have to jump from that thing."

"There's no way she can do it." Gary was adamant in his belief, although a teeny tiny part of him wondered if Leaf was right.

Misty stretched her arms and bounced up and down a bit. It didn't seem too bad; she was sure she could handle it. But all that peer pressure from her friends watching made her feel something she would never admit to feeling: nervous. May looked like she was about to freak out, Ash was cheering her on wildly, Drew wasn't about to miss a single moment of what could be either be a great victory or a disastrous fail, Paul was spectating in an amused way, Leaf was convinced Gary would lose the bet, and Gary...

Gary. He had that 'I knew it' look on his face. He thought she hadn't jumped yet because she was too scared! Just that made Misty's blood boil. She'll show him! Water was her specialty, and there was no way he would humiliate her about something concerning what she was good at.

Misty positioned herself to dive. Taking a deep breath, she imagined herself as the expert swimming athlete she had yet to be, and leaped.

That short time in the air made her feel like she was flying, and once she hit the water, she welcomed the feeling. It was wonderful, and, she decided, really, _really_ enjoyable. She wanted to do it again.

As her head came up for air, a cheer erupted, mostly from Ash, Leaf, and May. Gary gaped at her, unbelieving at what he had just witnessed. She smirked at him, triumphant, ready to rub her victory in his face.

"Ha! So what did you think about that, Gary! Still think I'm a scaredy-Meowth?" she bragged as she swam to him. "You think you can pull it off, too? Or are you gonna Pidgey-out?"

"Of course I can do it!" Gary insisted, snapping out of his shocked state. "I can probably do it even better than you!"

"Then prove it."

"Yeah, Gary!" Leaf pointed to the diving board. "You lost the bet to the swimming champion, so now I get to see you freak out!"

"You're going to be disappointed, cuz I am gonna jump with no problem!" Gary declared, although he was eying the board with the tiniest hint of worry in his eyes.

"You don't have to do it if you're too afraid." Misty continued her taunts, aiming to bruise his pride and ego. "We can just call it off if you _really_ don't think you can do it."

"You're going to be eating those words, Misty!" Gary climbed out of the pool and began heading for the ladder. He was going to protect his dignity at all costs!

"You have a camera?" Leaf asked Paul.

"Sadly, no." Paul replied, not taking his eyes off the egotistical brunet.

"I can ask my butler to get one." Drew offered. "You want me to?"

"Definitely."

"Please do."

"Look! He's at the top now!" Ash pointed to the diving board. Gary had finally reached the top, and was slowly making his way to the tip. May had gone back to being nervous, Leaf, Paul and Drew were handling the camera Drew's butler had brought, Ash was looking eager to see another great jump, and Misty was staring up at him smugly.

Gary tried to focus. If only Ash would just stop shouting, and Leaf would stop flashing that camera (wait, where did they get that camera?!), and Paul would stop giving him that you're-gonna-fail look, and May would stop looking like she thought he was going to hurt himself, and Drew would quit watching him so intently as if he were some circus performer, and Misty would wipe that arrogant smirk from her face, then _maybe_ he would be able to concentrate. He wasn't asking for much!

_Don't look down. _he chanted in his head._ Just don't look down, and pretend you're just going to jump in the pool._

It helped, and Gary managed to convince himself that he was just doing what he always did. In fact, it worked so well, that he forgot to expect that he would not immediately hit the water. So, when he did jump, he found himself in mid-air, and panicked, ruining his position, and hitting the water in an unpleasant way.

This was humiliating! Gary, who was now underwater, knew he must have looked very silly falling the way he did. He really didn't want to go up to the surface and face the others. They would probably make fun of him, and he didn't think he could stand having his pride crushed even more.

Suddenly, a mischievous thought occurred to him. What if... he _didn't_ resurface? What would their reaction be? They would probably forget all about his little mess up, and he would get to have some fun! So, forcing himself to hold his breath a while longer (which took a lot of effort), he waited.

His friends panicked when his head didn't reappear from the water.

"Gary!" Ash began swimming towards him as fast as he could.

"Hold on!" Leaf thrust the camera at Paul and jumped into the water after him.

May began screaming for help, and Drew quickly informed his butler, who was acting as a life guard right now, of the incident. But out of everyone, Misty had reacted the quickest, and had managed to reach Gary before anyone else. She pulled him to the surface and out of the pool, with some help from the others.

They all surrounded their friend, and Drew's butler quickly flipped through a first-aid book to make sure he knew exactly what to do in this situation.

"I-I'm sorry for making you do that!" Misty, near tears, apologized to the motionless boy. "I'm sorry! You were just... just such a great friend. A bit annoying, yes, but still... and this is all my fault!"

"Gary, you have to hold on!" Leaf cried. "Please!"

"Wake up, Gary!" Ash tried to rouse his friend. "Come on, buddy, you got to!"

"He-he was one of my best friends!" May sobbed freely. "And now..."

Drew stood solemnly to the side, his head bowed in seriousness. All he had wanted was to spend a wonderful swimming day with his friends. He had never wanted any of this. Gary...

A loud snort came from Gary. His friends jumped, startled. Gary?

Gary, unable to hold it back any longer, burst into laughter. The others around him stared at him in shock.

"You... were... FAKING?!" Misty screamed disbelievingly.

"Gary Oak! Don't you _ever_ do that again! It wasn't funny!" Leaf scolded, enraged and a bit embarrassed that she fell for his trick.

"Y-yes it was!" Gary choked out, still laughing uncontrollably. "Your faces!"

"Not cool..." Drew glared at him coldly. This wasn't something you should joke about!

"You had us really worried! We thought you were _dead_!" Ash tried, but failed, to explain the seriousness of the situation.

Drew's butler shook his head and walked off, muttering something about children's sense of humour these days.

"Gary. Oak." Everyone turned to May, who was sounding very different from how she usually did. Her head was lowered, so her bangs covered her eyes.

Suddenly, she looked up. Her expression was one of pure outrage, and she was looking deadly. Without warning, she tackled Gary into the pool with her, where, from the looks of it, she tried to attack Gary in any way possible.

"Wait what are you-!" Gary tried to protest, but kept finding his head being shoved underwater. "I was just jok-!"

"You meanie!" May screamed as she repeatedly attacked him. "I thought you were actually DEAD! You are one of my bestest friends in the world, and you made me think you were DEAD just to get a laugh! I'll show you!"

"You get him, May!" Leaf gave her encouragement. "Teach him a lesson!'

"You know what? I'm going in there too!" Misty leaped into the pool to assist the brunette.

Drew, Ash and Leaf looked at one another and nodded before joining them, and before he knew it, Gary was really regretting playing his little prank.

* * *

"Well, other than that small 'Gary incident', today was a lot of fun!" Misty commented as they had lunch. After spending hours in the water, the seven friends had finally had enough, and so they had changed and went to eat.

"Yeah!" Ash agreed. "When are you going to have another swimming-party, Drew?"

"I don't know." Drew shrugged. "But it was all pretty great! Maybe soon."

"Yay!" May, who had returned to her usual self, cheered. "We can get together next week! Or maybe tomorrow! Or maybe every day!"

"I don't think every day would work, June."

"It's May!"

"I'm definitely going to remember this day." Leaf said.

"Me too." Paul smirked as he pulled out Drew's camera from his pocket. "Especially with all the pictures I took!"

"Oh, so that's where the camera went." Drew reached for the camera, and Paul handed it to him.

"What pictures did you take?" Leaf asked curiously.

Paul shrugged. "From where you left off. You caught Gary's hilarious diving-fail, and I took pictures of everything after that. So, that whole drowning act, and Gary getting beat up by May."

Gary scowled. "I was _not_ getting beat up! May just caught me off guard!"

"Uh huh."

"Really!"

"Um, Paul?" May caught his attention. "When we all thought Gary drowned, why were you taking pictures instead of being worried?"

"He didn't look dead to me. Besides, he was getting enough attention."

"Wait!" Gary turned to him angrily. "So, you didn't bother trying to help because you just had a_ feeling_ I was okay?!"

"Yeah, pretty much."

"Some friend you are!"

"Hey Drew? Can you send us copies of the pictures?" Ash asked.

"Good idea!" Leaf exclaimed. "The Gary mess-up dive one is a keeper!"

"_Leafy_!" Gary whined.

"Sure!" Drew nodded his head.

It really had been a water-ful day.

* * *

**And done! This makes a pretty nice summer-related chapter.**

**Wow! This fanfic has now reached over 50 reviews, 20 favs, and 28 follows! I want to give a special thanks to everyone who's been reading this for all their support. You guys are all great!**

**Last chapter I said that I'm going to forget the update schedule and post whenever I want. But I realized that that might not be such a good idea after all, because then it would become hard for readers to predict the next update. So back to the update schedule! Like before, I'll update once a week during the weekend. And maybe during the week sometimes, depending on how much I write. So next update will be during the weekend!  
**

**A reminder to the poll, and please review and thanks for reading!**

**Bye bye for now! And have a smiling day! :)**


	20. I Dare You

**Hello everyone!**

**Wow, I got a lot of suggestions from you guys! This chapter wasn't a suggestion, but enjoy it while I work on the topics I got.**

**Happy reading!**

**Disclaimer: I do not own Pokemon in any way, shape or size!**

* * *

**I Dare You**

**Grade One  
**

**May (6), Paul (6), Gary (6), Ash (6), Drew (6)**

It was a chilly November day, and everyone was outside for recess. Gary and Paul, instead of being at the playground like all the other grade one students, were standing close to the roadside, with only the sidewalk separating them from the road.

This was not where they usually hung out. Gary had just seen a cool car that he wanted to check out. His other friends, May, Drew and Ash, were reluctant to come along, as they were not allowed to leave the area. He did, however, manage to convince Paul, one of his bolder, braver friends, to join him.

After admiring the parked car for a while, they had gotten bored. There was nothing else to do there, and there weren't many other cars passing by.

"I'm bored." Paul stated, leaning against a lamppost.

"I don't wanna go back to everyone else." Gary said, sitting on the ground. "They'll just think we got scared and came back." It was either that they go back and be called scaredy-Meowths, or they stay bored for the rest of recess. The two boys, having a great amount of pride, chose the latter.

"Gary," Paul spoke up, suddenly thinking up a way to pass the time, "I dare you to lick this lamp." He pointed at the lamp post he was leaning on before.

Gary hesitated before answering. "No."

"You're too scared." Paul accused.

"No I'm not! Why would I be scared to lick something?"

"Because my brother said that a boy in his class got dared to lick it. He did, and his tongue got stuck forever!" Paul finished his story dramatically.

"No." Gary crossed his arms. "Daisy said that I'm not allowed to lick metal when it's cold, because a boy in her class did, and his tongue wouldn't come off. She said it hurt him a lot when he pulled it off."

Paul pondered on his brother's words for a second. "If the boy did lick the lamp, and his tongue got stuck forever, then why isn't he here? Reggie was probably just trying to scare me."

"I'm not gonna do it. Daisy said my tongue would get stuck, and Grandpa did too. And I'm not allowed." Gary's decision was final.

"Do you really think that would happen?" Paul wondered aloud. Truth was, Paul wasn't really sure if what Reggie had told him was true, and he wanted to see it for himself to believe it. But of course, he was not about to try it himself.

"Maybe..." Gary was a bit doubtful as well. He always believed his grandpa, but it somehow seemed absurd to him that his tongue would get stuck like that.

He suddenly spotted three people walking a short distance away from them: a girl wearing a red bandana, a boy with green hair, and another boy with black hair wearing a red cap.

"Hey, Ash! Ashy-boy!" Gary called out, an 'evil' idea popping into his head.

The black-haired boy, Ash, tensed. He and Gary didn't get along very often, and if Gary was calling him, then it probably was not for anything good. Nevertheless, he and the two friends with him, May and Drew, made their way over to the other two.

"Ash," Gary smirked when the three had come up to them. "I dare you to lick this lamp!" Paul began to look a bit interested.

"Eww!" May squealed, not knowing the danger. But Ash paled. He knew exactly what would happen.

"No." He folded his arms. Gary was surprised. It wasn't often that Ash was brave enough to say 'no' to him.

"I dared you, so you have to!" Gary pressed on.

"No." Ash replied firmly yet again. "My tongue would get stuck on it."

"Really?" Drew found this interesting.

"Yes." Ash confirmed. "One time, I licked a pole when it was winter, and my tongue got stuck. It really hurt when my mom took it off."

Gary was disappointed. If Ash already knew the consequences, then he, Gary, wouldn't get to see what Daisy had said would happen for himself.

"That sounds scary." May shivered. "Once my tongue got stuck on an ice cube, but it melted."

"Metal doesn't melt." Paul informed her, smirking as he scared her further. "If you lick it for a long time, your tongue will get stuck forever!" May gasped at the horrifying knowledge she had just gained.

"I don't believe it." Drew crossed his arms. He had never heard of such a thing, and thought it sounded ridiculous.

"Then I dare _you_ to lick it." Paul and Gary redirected their dare at the green-haired boy.

Drew hesitated. There was a small voice at the back of his head telling him that it was a bad idea, a _really_ bad idea, but he wanted to prove himself. It was time to show Paul and Gary that he was just as brave as them. He took a step forward.

"Don't do it!" May shrieked. She grabbed onto his arm to prevent him from going any further.

"Let go, May!" he urged.

"Hey, what are you kids doing all the way here?" The five froze as a teacher approached them. He was very scary-looking, and he taught the higher grades, so he was unfamiliar to them.

"You are not allowed to leave the playground area all alone, especially so close to the road." he scolded. "What were you doing here?"

The grade ones stayed silent, Ash, May and Drew being too terrified of the teacher, and Gary and Paul trying to figure out a way to get out of trouble. Eventually, Ash cracked under pressure.

"They were telling me and Drew to lick that lamp!" he blurted out, pointing at Paul and Gary. This led to him receiving a hard kick from Paul.

The teacher's expression became serious. "You boys can get in a lot of trouble for doing something like that." he directed his statement at the two boys.

"We weren't!" Gary protested quickly. "We were all just having fun, and then we dared them to lick it. We weren't actually making them do it."

The teacher looked doubtful of his words. "Is this true?" he asked the other three, who nodded in response. Ash knew Gary and Paul would let him have it if he said anything else. Drew didn't want to look like a tattletale, and May would never sell out her best friends.

The teacher seemed more convinced. "But you shouldn't try to do this kind of stuff, even if it is for fun. Did you know your tongue can get stuck if you lick metal when it is cold?"

"Really?" Gary feigned ignorance as he stared at the teacher with wide, innocent eyes that only a six-year-old could pull off.

Paul changed his expression to a serious one, appearing as if this piece of information was new to him, and he was now closely listening to the grown-up's words.

"Yes." the teacher confirmed. "It could cause some big problems if that were ever to happen. Now come with me back to the playground, and don't ever come out here again."

The five followed him, feeling relieved that they had escaped possible punishment. The only regret that Paul and Gary had was that they could have just dared Drew to lick it instead of Ash in the first place, which he would have done before the teacher arrived. Too bad they never got to see anyone fulfill the dare.

Drew suddenly realized something odd and turned to Ash. "Why were you licking a pole?"

* * *

**And there you have it! In case it wasn't clear, the question Drew asked Ash at the end was referring to what Ash said before (that he once licked a pole in winter).**

**Next update will be during the next weekend.**

**Please review, and thanks for reading!**

**Bye bye for now! And have a smiling day! :)**


	21. Egg-cellent Responsibility Skills

**Hello, everyone! Here is another chapter!**

**School's started (my school starts a bit early, so it started this week), so my writing-time has been cut down, especially because my teachers insisted on getting us started with homework and projects. I like school, but I don't like the work-load preventing me from writing. I don't have that much homework yet, so I can still write, but I can't promise that updates will always be at their usual time. Don't worry, I'll still do my best to update once a week!**

**Now, let's get started!**

**Today's topic was suggested by _TheBestNameEvah._**

**Disclaimer: I do not own Pokemon in any way, shape or size!**

* * *

**Egg-cellent Responsibility Skills**

**Grade Three  
**

**May (8), Drew (8), Gary (9), Paul (9), Ash (8), Misty (9), Leaf (8), Dawn (8)  
**

"Okay, class." Mrs. Primm, the grade three teacher, got everyone's attention. "Last week, I announced that we would be doing a special project starting today. Well, I'm about to tell you what that project is.

"As you all know, when someone turns ten years of age, he or she gets to keep a Pokemon partner, and is allowed to start carrying Pokemon with him or herself. But having a Pokemon means you have to be very responsible. Each Pokemon has its own needs, so you will have to take really good care of it.

"In grade three, in most schools, we do a small project to help students understand how responsible they have to be. Each of you will be assigned a Pokemon egg, which you will have to take care of for all of this week, including the weekend. Of course, they aren't real eggs, as I am pretty sure you can not be trusted with those just yet, but they are designed to resemble real eggs for effect. Each of you will get a different one, so I am pretty sure there won't be any mix-ups. Is everyone clear?"

Mrs. Primm glanced around the class to see if there was anyone looking hopelessly lost. She noticed when Dawn's hand shot in the air.

"Yes, Dawn?"

"Mrs. Primm, how would you know if we have really been taking care of the eggs? What if someone just left theirs and then told you that they took care of it?"

The teacher nodded. "The eggs have a special system inside of them, which can sense how it is being treated. If it falls, or wasn't warm enough, or was handled gently or roughly, it will record all that. In the end, it'll add up everything that's been happening to it, and will show you what the result would have been had it been a real egg."

There were a few groans from the more irresponsible students in the class. That meant they couldn't take the easy way out.

"I will call each of you to the front one by one, and assign you an egg from this box." She gestured to a large box sitting on the desk.

Soon, everyone had an egg. Mrs. Primm explained some of the basics of taking care of Pokemon eggs to the class before dismissing them when the bell rang. During recess, May got together with her friends Dawn, Misty, Ash, Gary, Drew and Paul.

"Oooo!" She looked at all her friends' eggs. "What do you think will hatch from your eggs?"

"Nothing. It's not real." Paul stated bluntly.

May frowned. "No, I meant _if_ it were real, what Pokemon egg do you think it will be? They are made to look like they're real."

"I think mine's gonna be very cute!" Dawn looked adoringly at her pink egg that had a white stripe around the middle.

"I don't know." Ash shrugged, observing his egg that had brown and dark brown stripes. "I bet it's gonna be cool though!"

"Not as cool as mine!" Gary held up his orange egg that had a light, crescent shape on it.

"I hope mine's a water type." Misty looked over her light green egg, which had dark green markings on it.

May shook her head. "I don't think so, Misty. A water type Pokemon's egg would be blue."

"That's not true." Misty argued. "Water Pokemon can be many different colours."

"It could be a grass type." Drew reasoned. "I mean, most grass types are green, so maybe that's more likely."

"What about you, Drew?" Dawn asked. "What Pokemon do you think your egg's going to hatch into?"

Drew looked at his brown egg, which had three green circles at one end, thoughtfully. "I'm not sure..." He shrugged. "It doesn't matter, though. I'm still going to have to take care of it. What about yours, September?"

"Delcatty!" May announced, holding her purple egg, that had a yellow marking on it, lovingly. "And my name is May!"

"It can't be a Delcatty." Gary said, rolling his eyes. "That's an evolved Pokemon."

"Oh." May wondered for a bit before shrugging. "I don't know, then."

"What about you Paul?" Ash asked, turning to his purple-haired friend. "Where is you egg, anyways?" The teal-coloured egg that had been assigned to him was nowhere to be seen.

"In my backpack." Paul's answer was straight-forward.

May's eyes widened in horror. "In your backpack?! It could die in there!"

"No it can't." Paul sounded annoyed. "It's _not_ real."

"But still." Drew faced him seriously. "If it gets damaged or something, Mrs. Primm isn't going to be very happy."

"Yeah!" Dawn chimed in. "You have to take care of your egg better, and give it a lot of attention! It's not going to hatch if you treat it like that."

"It's not going to hatch at all, cuz it's _not real_!"

"Yeah, yeah, Paul's gonna fail; so what?" Gary smirked. "I'm going to get the best marks, cuz when my egg hatches, my Pokemon's gonna be the best of all!"

"No way, mine is! Right, Brownie?" Ash stared determinedly at his egg, as if expecting to get an answer back.

"Brownie?" Misty raised an eyebrow.

"Why not? I don't know what Pokemon this is gonna be, so maybe I can give it a name for now." Ash justified.

"Great idea!" Dawn squealed delightedly. She turned to her egg. "Hi, Blossom! How are ya?"

"And I'm going to call mine Noodle!" May announced. Everyone stared at her.

"Why 'Noodle'?" Misty asked.

"I don't know. I just really like my egg, and I really like noodles too. So Noodle it is!" It sounded logical.

"That's a pretty good name." Ash commented.

"Not as good as my egg's name!" Gary thought for a second. "Thunder! Its name is Thunder!"

Misty shrugged. Everyone was naming their egg. Even though it was all pretty ridiculous, she might as well too. "Mine will be... Splash."

"Come on, Drew! Tell us your egg's name!" May urged. "Wait, I know! Drew The Second! It has hair like you and everything!"

"Huh? What do you mean?"

May pointed at the three green circles at the top of his egg. "See? Green hair."

"Oh." Drew tilted his head. "Actually, I don't think I want to name my egg. I don't even know what Pokemon it is."

"What?! But you have to!" May was shocked. "I'll name it for you! If you don't like Drew The Second, we can call it Circley!"

"Why don't I just call it Spot?" Drew suggested, not really liking either names.

"Okay, but it sounds kind of boring..."

As everyone talked to their eggs, and did their best to make them feel loved, Paul stared at them exasperatedly.

"What's wrong with everyone? _They're not real_!"

* * *

The week went by quickly. Mrs. Primm gave them class time to take care of their eggs and ask questions, but they were mostly expected to take care of them at home. Eventually, Saturday arrived, and the seven friends found themselves hanging out at Gary's house, with Leaf, Gary's next-door neighbour, there as well.

"You're doing the egg thing too?" Dawn noticed the pink and dark blue egg Leaf was holding.

"Of course I am! All the grade threes have to do it, no matter what school they go to."

"So, did you guys find out what your Pokemon are?" May asked.

"Blossom's a Happiny." Dawn said, holding up her egg, which she had brought with her. "My mom looked it up for me. I saw a picture of it, and it's so cute!"

Dawn was definitely giving her egg enough attention. Apparently, she had pasted small, fake dark and light pink jewels all over it in decorative patterns. Not to mention she got it its own blanket and case for when she didn't have it with her.

"My dad said Noodle's an Aipom." May showed her her egg, which was currently wearing a red bandana like May's.

"One of my tutors said that if my egg were to hatch, it would be a Bonsly." Drew's egg was in a special case like real eggs were put in. It was evident he was taking really good care of it.

"Professor Oak told us what our eggs are." Ash said. "Mine's Sentret, Gary's Teddiursa, Leaf's Mime Jr., and Misty's-"

"A BUG!" Misty yelled out. "Mine's a bug! How does Mrs. Primm expect me to treat a BUG with love and affection?!"

Drew confusedly turned to Ash. "What?"

Ash sheepishly scratched the back of his head. "It's a Spinarak." he explained.

"Splash the Spinarak. Has a nice ring to it." Leaf commented.

Gary, who was currently absorbed in a chess game with Paul (as usual) while he half-listened to his friends' conversation, snickered. "Misty won't even touch her egg now. She gets Ash to take care of it." he muttered, trying to decide what move to make.

"And Ash actually _does_ the work for her? Pretty dumb of him. He's just doing twice the work." Paul said, not moving his eyes from the chess board.

"Where are your eggs, anyways?" May asked the two boys curiously.

Without turning his head, Gary used one hand to point to the sofa, where his egg was resting on a cushion, wearing... sunglasses?

"It's just hanging out." Gary explained.

"What about yours, Paul?"

"It's in my closet in a box." Paul mumbled, too focused on his game to look up. "By the way, Gary, it's check."

May, Dawn, and Ash stared at him in horror.

"What?! In your closet, all alone! Are you crazy?! It could freeze to death!" Dawn cried frantically.

Paul finally looked up, clearly annoyed.

"Okay, first of all, it can't _die_. It's not real. Second of all, it doesn't matter whether it's all alone or not, because, again, _it's not real_!"

"But still. You can get a bad mark if you don't take care of it properly." Drew reasoned. "If it gets too cold or something, the sensors inside it will record that, and the teacher won't be too happy."

"Yeah yeah, taken care of." Paul rolled his eyes. "I made sure the temperature is okay and all. I don't want to fail, although I think this whole project is dumb."

"But... why put it in your closet?" Ash asked. "You're supposed to treat it as if it were real. Would you close it up like that it it were real?"

"Wouldn't put it past him." Gary muttered.

"Oh, I get it!" Leaf giggled. "Paul's egg was being naughty, so it's in a punishment right now. It's part of its disciplining!"

Everyone stared at her for a second before shrugging, and letting it side.

"Ha! Checkmate!" Gary shouted victoriously as he moved one of his pieces into position.

"What?" Paul's attention was drawn back to the chess board and he quickly scanned it over. Scowling, he turned to face his opponent. "Rematch."

"Nah." Gary lay back, with his hands behind his head. "Later. Everyone's talking is too distracting."

"Fine." Paul would have preferred a rematch now, but he agreed with his friend about the distractions.

"Hey Paul," Dawn spoke up suddenly. "I was just wondering what Pokemon your egg is. You never told us."

"According to my brother, Munchlax." the purple-head drawled as he lay back, mimicking Gary.

"Poor Munchlax..." May said a bit sadly, thinking about the fact that it was all alone in a closet.

* * *

It was Sunday, which meant that the next day the egg-project would be over, and May would have to part with her beloved Noodle. She made up her mind that she was going to spend every free minute with her egg, and have as much fun as she could with it.

"May, what are you doing?" her little brother, Max, who was holding a large book in his hands, asked as he peeked into her room.

"Playing with Noodle." May explained, gesturing to her bandana-wearing egg.

"Who's Noodle?"

"Silly Max! Don't you remember? I already told you; it's my egg!"

"Oh ya. The egg your teacher gave you that you have to take care of."

"Yup!"

Max frowned. "It doesn't look very happy to me. It's looks very bored, cuz it's just sitting there, doing nothing. Why don't you teach it something? Maybe it wants to learn something new."

"I did! I told it all about myself."

Max was about to say something else, but May's mother began calling her. May left her room to quickly answer to her mother's calls.

Max turned to the egg lying on his sister's bed, a thought entering his five-year-old brain.

"Noodle, I'm back!" May announced when she returned a few minutes later. She paused and looked around, realizing her precious egg was not where she had left it.

"Noodle?" She searched everywhere. It wasn't on the floor, under her bed, in her closet, or anywhere else in her room.

"Noodle, where are you?" May cried desperately. "Hide and seek is over; I give up! Noodle!"

Not being able to locate her missing belonging, May sat down on the floor to think. Where could it have gone? It was here just a short while ago!

Horrifying thoughts began entering her mind. What if it were hurt? What if it were kidnapped, or lost and cold? All because she hadn't been responsible enough. Her poor little dear, suffering because of her own irresponsibility. She didn't care that she might fail the project; she wanted her Noodle!

May sadly stood up, her eyes trained on the floor in her sorrow. It was then that she noticed something. There was a large book lying on the ground. It certainly hadn't been there before. How had it gotten there?

May picked it up, and immediately realized who it belonged to. And if he had been in her room, then chances were, he might have been the one who had stolen her egg.

"Max!" May roared as she barged into his room. Max looked up, startled. His sister faced him angrily.

"Where is it?"

"What?"

"Noodle! Where. Is. NOODLE!"

Max's eyes dropped guiltily to his feet, but he didn't respond. May furiously scanned the room, and eventually, her eyes caught sight or a certain bandana-wearing egg.

"Noodle!" May joyously ran to it, picking it up to give it a big hug. "Don't you ever leave without telling me again!" she scolded. "And Max! Why did you take Noodle?"

"I just wanted to show it something." Max mumbled. "I wanna have an egg too."

May's expression softened. "Don't worry! You'll get your chance when you get to grade three."

"Okay..."

May, not liking seeing her little brother so sad, turned to her egg. "Noodle, do you want to play with Uncle Max for a bit?"

Max looked up eagerly. "What did it say?"

May nodded. "Noodle said yes."

Her little brother beamed.

* * *

Monday came too fast. May found herself seated in her desk, Noodle in her arms, watching Mrs. Primm, who was making some adjustments to a strange machine that was on her desk.

"Okay, class." she said finally. "Today I am going to use this machine to see how you've been taking care of your eggs." She gestured to the machine she had been preparing. It had a screen and a scanner attached to it.

She sat down in her desk and looked at a list, starting to call everyone up one by one.

"Dawn Berlitz." Dawn made her way to the front, proudly carrying Blossom. She handed it to her teacher and watched curiously as Mrs. Primm scanned her egg. A small click was heard, as if the scanner had unlocked something. What happened next resulted in Dawn letting out a small, horrified scream.

Mrs. Primm opened the egg up, making it appear as if it had been cut in half. She poked around the mechanical insides until her fingers caught a tiny chip, which she plugged into the machine on her desk.

"Hmmm." Mrs. Primm scanned the data on the screen. "From the looks of it, you have been taking really good care of your egg! You have evidently met all of its needs and given it plenty of care and attention!"

None of the compliments quite made it into Dawn's head. She was absolutely shocked at what had just happened to Blossom, whom she had treated as if it were real all week. She returned to her desk, still in her stunned state, when Mrs. Primm called up the next student.

May hugged Noodle closer to her. She did not want it to end up the same way Blossom had. And she hated to imagine how heartbroken Max would be if he found out what was little Noodle's fate. Apparently, most of her classmates seemed to be as reluctant to handing over their eggs as her.

"Drew Hayden." Drew solemnly stood up, his egg in hand, and made it to his teacher.

"Bye, Spot." he muttered so no one else could hear. He had grown somewhat attached to the egg during his time with it.

Mrs. Primm studied the screen. "Very good, Drew! It seems you have taken care of this egg the same way one would care for a real egg."

Drew grinned and flipped his hair at the praise. At least he did the job well.

Eventually, Ash got called up.

"Can I keep it?" he asked hesitantly.

Mrs. Primm shook her head. "No. These eggs will be reset and reused for another grade three class next year."

"So... it won't remember me at all?"

"If by 'remember' you mean it will no longer have data on how you cared for it, then yes, it will no longer... _remember_ you."

A frown appeared as she saw something on the screen. "Ash, I don't think it would want to remember you (as you put it) anyways. While you seemed to have taken decent care of it, there are some instances where, if it were real, you would have damaged it. At some points, it looks like you might have dropped it, or been slightly rough with it. And, what happened there? It looks like you dropped it several times in the same minute!"

"Well, it kind of accidentally slipped out of my grasp when I was going down the stairs." Ash explained, sounding ashamed. "It looks like it fell lots of times because it hit all the stairs on the way down." To his open egg, he quietly whispered, "Sorry, Brownie."

"Hmmm. You may have made a few mistakes here and there, but overall, generally it was well taken care of, so you pass. If it were real, however, you definitely wouldn't have! Please take a seat now."

May thought her turn came too soon. When Mrs. Primm called her name, she froze. She could not just hand over her dear Noodle to be opened up in half and have its memory erased.

"May Maple, please come up." her teacher repeated. May slowly got up from her chair and made it over to the teacher's desk.

"Egg, please." May hesitated at the request. She sadly faced the egg in her hands.

_Well, this is goodbye then, Noodle._ she thought, not being able to say it out loud. _I'll never forget you, even if you forget me._

"May. _Egg_." Soon, the egg found itself in Mrs. Primm's possession.

"Okay, May, it appears you have done really well. It does, however, seem like your egg might have been too warm sometimes, probably because it constantly had that bandana on. You may return to your seat."

"Okay." May said hollowly, obeying her teacher after stealing a last, quick glance at her beloved Noodle.

Not long after, it was Gary's turn. He tried to act like he didn't care about the whole thing, but he forfeited Thunder to the teacher somewhat reluctantly. He received a decent mark as well, although, apparently, he had handled his egg a bit roughly at times.

After a few more students, it was Paul's turn. Unlike the others, Paul stood up willingly, eager to finally see the demise of what had been nothing but a nuisance to him all week. He relished the moment his Munchlax egg was opened up, savouring the fact that he would now have to neither continue this ridiculous project, nor put up with his friends' babying their little eggs as if they were real.

"You have clearly been meeting all the needs of you egg, Paul, though you might have handled it just a tiny bit too roughly once or twice. However, it does not look like you gave it any extra, special attention. Please keep in mind that all Pokemon need plenty of attention, whether you're playing with them, praising them, or giving them treats. Of course, you couldn't do that with the eggs, but please try to keep this in mind."

Paul nodded respectfully before going back to his desk, not really caring about the attention-thing the teacher had just told him.

"He passed?" Gary mumbled disbelievingly. "How did he pass?"

After a while, Misty went up to the front, holding her egg cautiously, and looking nothing but relieved when Mrs. Primm took it from her possession. It became evident that something was wrong by the way Mrs. Primm was observing the data that occurred on the screen.

"Misty," the teacher finally addressed her student. "From what I see here, it looks like during the first few days, you were off to a good start. But then, later on, did you get tired or bored with your egg? Because you haven't given it much attention since the then."

Misty just bit her lip. Her negligence was actually because she had discovered Splash was a bug, and after that, she could not get herself to care for it as much. But she couldn't use that as an excuse, because after all, her teacher would just point out that the egg wasn't real. At least she got Ash to take care of its needs.

"What's more," Mrs. Primm continued. "There were some days where it looks like you didn't even touch your egg, or look to its needs at all."

"Wait, what?!" Misty peeked at the screen. Her teacher showed her the data, and sure enough, she was correct.

Mrs. Primm glanced at Misty curiously. "Are you saying you _did_ take care of it those days? Was there some kind of malfunction that prevented the egg from recording the data?"

"N-no. I just... forgot." Misty mumbled, half-honestly. This was so unfair! It had been _Ash_ who had forgotten to care for it, not her!

"Well, Misty, I'm afraid I can not give you high marks for this. But not to worry. This project actually barely counts on your report card, so you can make up for it easily."

"Okay, Mrs. Primm." Misty shot Ash a deadly glare as she walked back to her desk, making the latter cower.

* * *

"Well, that went okay." Drew shrugged. "It was actually a bit fun taking care of my egg."

The friends were all outside for recess, discussing the project.

"How could she do that to my poor Blossom?" Dawn whispered hoarsely.

"Bye bye, Noodle." May sniffed, turning back to face the school.

"Aw, come on, guys! It's not that bad!" Gary was starting to feel the two girls were overreacting. "They weren't real after all. Just think, they do this every year! They probably got used to it by now."

"Yeah, if anything, you should be happy." Paul chimed in. "You don't have to bother treating inanimate objects as if they were real anymore." That didn't really help.

"Ash Ketchum!" Misty snarled. "You are so gonna get it! You made me fail, and when I find you...!"

Ash was not with the rest of the group, because he had been sure he would pay for not caring for Misty's egg enough. So, once the bell had rung, he had darted out before she could get her hands on him.

"Wonder how Leafy did..." Gary pondered. "She was taking care of hers really well, but I probably took better care of mine..."

"Cheer up." Drew turned to Dawn and May. "At least now you know what it would be like to have your own real Pokemon. So you know how great it would be taking care of your starters when you get them at age ten. And you get to keep _them_ forever!"

May and Dawn turned to each other. "Yeah, that's right!"

"Can't wait! I wonder what my starter will be?"

And off they went, having fantasies about their future Pokemon.

* * *

**Yay! This was really fun to write about!**

**To be honest, I actually didn't expect to finish writing this by today. I thought I would have to update on Sunday instead. But somehow, I finished. It might have been because I had already written a lot of it last weekend. Okay, I should go get started on the next chapter now if I want to complete it by next Saturday!**

**Please review, and thanks for reading!**

**Bye bye for now! And have a smiling day! :)**


	22. At The Lab Again

**Hello again, everyone! It's update time!**

**A while ago, I did a chapter where May, Drew, Paul and Gary met starter Pokemon at Professor Oak's lab. I then got a suggestion saying I should do one where the rest of the main eight meet starters as well. So I found myself wondering how exactly I would make that happen, since I wanted them to be close to the same age, but Misty and Dawn didn't come until later. So I thought for a bit, and then I got it! So here is the next chapter! **

**Today's topic was suggested by _jg13145_.**

**Disclaimer: I do not own Pokemon in any way, shape or size!**

* * *

**At The Lab Again**

**(Summer after) Kindergarten**

**Gary (6), Leaf (6), Ash (6), Misty (6), Dawn (6)  
**

A little blue-haired girl bounced up the steps leading to the laboratory at the top of the hill.

"Slow down, Dawn dear!" her mother called. "You don't want to fall."

"No need to worry, Mom!" Dawn said cheerfully. "I'm being careful!"

"That's when I worry the most..." The mother smiled at her daughter's eagerness.

They had been driving in the area when Dawn had caught site of the building at the top of the hill. She had curiously asked her mother what it was, and her mother had explained that it was the famous Professor Oak's lab. Dawn, wanting to see all the Pokemon there, had begged her mother to take her there, and that was where they were going now.

Once the two reached the door, the woman knocked and waited patiently. An elderly man answered the door.

"Why hello there!" he greeted, smiling widely. "What brings you here?"

"You must be Professor Oak! I'm Johanna, and this is my daughter, Dawn. She wanted to visit your lab, so I was wondering, if it isn't any trouble..."

"No, not at all! Come in, come in!" Professor Oak led them into his lab. "I love having visitors, and I wasn't busy right now, so I would gladly give you a tour!"

"Where are all the Pokemon?" Dawn looked around excitedly.

"You want to see the Pokemon? They're outside. I know! I'll call my grandson over to take you to them. He's about your age, and he's here with his friends right now."

Oak opened a door that led to the ranch behind his lab. "Gary! Can you come here for a moment?"

A boy with spiky hair, followed by a girl with bright, green eyes and brown hair, and a boy with black hair wearing a baseball cap, answered the man's calls.

"What is it, Grandpa?"

"This is Dawn." Oak introduced them to the blue-haired girl. "She wants to see the Pokemon outside. Can you, Ash, and Leaf show her around?"

"But Grandpaaaa!" Gary whined. "We're playing a game!"

"Can I play too?" Dawn asked, eager to make new friends.

"Yeah!" the boy named Ash cheered. "It's a lot more fun with more people!"

Gary scowled, but begrudgingly agreed. The four made their way outside.

"Wow!" Dawn ran to a tree, where some Pidgey were perched. "They're so cute!"

"They're Pidgey." Gary drawled knowledgeably. "Nothing big."

"And what are those?" Dawn noted some more Pokemon running in the distance.

"Tauros."

"And those?"

"Vulpix."

"And what about those?"

"Can we just play?" Gary said irritatedly, finding the girl to be nothing but a bother.

Dawn put her hands on the hips, frowning. "You don't have to be so rude!"

"Hey, I know!" Ash said enthusiastically. "Do you want to see the starter Pokemon?"

"You mean the ones you get when you turn ten?" Dawn turned to him interestedly.

"Yeah!" Ash gestured at her to follow him. "Come on!"

The two hurried off to the lakeside, where a Charmander, Bulbasaur, and Squirtle were playing.

"Hey!" Gary called after them, clearly annoyed. "I thought we were going to play!" When nobody answered, he folded his arms angrily. "Fine! I'll just play with Leafy then!"

He turned to face the green-eyed girl, only to find she was no longer standing beside him. Instead, she was up ahead, chasing after Ash and Dawn.

"Hurry up, Gary!" she called back to him. "Let's go say hi to the Pokemon!"

Grumbling, Gary felt he had no choice but to follow them.

"They're all so cute!" Dawn was saying, as she observed the three starters in front of her. "Hi, Squirtle!" She waved to the little water-type that was curiously looking up at her.

"I'm gonna pick Squirtle when I turn ten. It's the best out of all of them." Gary boasted.

"I wanna pick Bulbasaur!" Leaf announced, petting the grass-type on its head.

"Ooooo, it has a plant on its back!" Dawn observed. She turned to Ash. "So, what are you gonna pick? Charmander?"

"Maybe." Ash answered, shrugging. "I haven't decided yet. They're all so cool!"

While the four talked about their future starters outside, Professor Oak was having a nice chat with Johanna. He was interrupted suddenly when there was a knock at the door.

"I wonder who could that be. My, I'm sure getting many visitors today, aren't I?" The scientist opened the door, and came face to face with four girls. The oldest one was a teenager, and so was the second one. The third looked like she was either a preteen, or in her early teens, and finally, the youngest one appeared to be about six.

"Hi." said the oldest one. "Like, I'm Daisy, and these are my sisters, Lily, Violet and Misty. We were, like, trying to get to a swimming competition, but then we're not from this area, so I kept getting all mixed up. So can you, like, give up directions or something please?"

"Of course! Please, come in! I'm sure I have a map here that I can show you."

Professor Oak led the girls inside. He took out a map and began showing the older girls the way they should go. The youngest one, Misty, started to get bored very quickly.

"Daisy, hurry up!" she whined, tugging on her sister's shirt.

"Yeah yeah, in a minute!" Daisy pointed at one of the roads on the map. "So, I should go from here?"

"No no! From _here_!"

"Wait, so, like, which way should I turn from here?"

"This way. And then follow this road here..."

"_Daisy_!" Misty pouted.

"Like, calm down, Misty." Lily scolded.

"Yeah, you, like, have to be patient!" Violet added.

"But-!"

"Misty, ssh! I'm trying to understand this, but I can't if your gonna, like, keep complaining every second." Daisy managed to quiet her sister.

Professor Oak, noticing the large scowl on the little girl's face, smiled. "I know! How about you go outside and see the Pokemon on my ranch while you wait. My grandson and his friends are outside as well, and they're about your age."

"Are there water Pokemon?"

"Yes, especially by the lake."

Misty faced her older sister eagerly. "Can I, Daisy? Can I?"

"Yeah yeah, just, like, let me concentrate." Daisy replied, barely paying attention.

Oak led her outside to the lake, where the other four were observing the Pokemon. "Gary!" he called. "We've got another visitor!"

"Another one?" Gary grumbled when he saw the orange-haired girl.

"Now play nice!" With that, his grandpa started to head back to his lab.

"Hi, what's your name?" Ash asked cheerfully.

"I'm Misty!" Misty introduced herself.

"I'm Leaf! That's Gary, and Ash, and, um..."

"Dawn!" the blue-haired girl reminded her.

"What are you guys doing?" Misty asked curiously.

"We're looking at the Pokemon!" Ash announced. "Look, I think I see something in the water!" He pointed to a spot in the lake.

"I see it too!" Misty saw what Ash was watching.

"That's a Poliwag." Gary informed them, sounding like a know-it-all.

Misty rolled her eyes. "I know that. I know all the water type Pokemon!"

Gary raised an eyebrow. "Oh ya?"

"Ya!"

"Well, what's that, then?"

"Goldeen!"

"And that?"

"Horsea!"

"And that?"

"Staryu!"

Gary frowned. _He_ was the one who knew the names of all the Pokemon, and it annoyed him that for once, he was being out-done. He scanned the lake, searching for a hard one. "What about that?"

"Oh that? That's uh, um..." Misty was finally stumped. She had never seen that Pokemon before! It looked kind of like a flying type, but its wings didn't look like they let it fly.

"Ha!" Gary shouted triumphantly. "So you _don't_ know all the water Pokemon!"

Misty faced him angrily. "Oh ya? Then why don't you say what it is?"

"That's easy! It's a, um..." Gary tried to remember. His grandpa had told him the name, but he couldn't quite recall...

"It's a Piplup!" Dawn exclaimed. "It's one of the three starters you can get where I live!"

"Professor Rowan left it here with Gary's grandpa." Leaf explained. "He left the two others too!"

"Chimchar and Turtwig?" Dawn's eyes lit up. "Are they here? I wanna see them!"

"Yeah, they're over here. Come on!" Ash began to once again run off, this time heading towards some trees.

The others followed, but Misty stayed put, watching them reluctantly. She wanted to stay by the lake and watch the water Pokemon. However, when she turned back to the lake, she paled. Some bug Pokemon had decided to come by for a drink, and bug Pokemon, like Beedrill, were swarming over the water. Suddenly, sticking with the others didn't seem like such a bad idea, and Misty began chasing after them.

"Oooo, there's Chimchar!" Dawn pointed to the fire-type swinging from a branch.

"And here's little Turtwig!" Leaf peeked at the other side of a tree to catch sight of the napping grass-type.

As they admired the two, something small and yellow darted past them, jumping into a bush.

"Whoa, what was that?" Ash peered over the bush, trying to find out what it was.

"It was probably a Rattata." Gary said, uninterestedly.

"Rattata aren't yellow." Leaf pointed out.

"Hey, I see it!" Ash finally managed to spot the little Pokemon. The others joined him, and saw a tiny electric-type, nibbling on a berry. It looked up curiously at them.

"A Pichu!" Leaf exclaimed.

"Aww, it's so tiny!" Dawn squealed.

"Careful." Gary warned. "It can shock you if it gets scared."

"No need to worry, I won't scare it!" Dawn told him.

"Yeah!" Ash chimed in. "I'm gonna be its friend, so it won't be scared of us!"

He jumped over the bush to head towards the Pichu.

"Ash, what are you doing?!" Misty called out to him. "It may be small, but it can still attack!"

"Don't worry, Mist! I'm not bothering it; I just wanna say hello!"

"But Misty's right!" Dawn said anxiously. "Sometimes, electric-types can attack even if you don't do anything to them!" She was thinking of a recent experience she had with a Plusle and Minun in kindergarten.

"It's okay." Leaf assured them. "He always does stuff like this. He'll learn."

The minute Ash came too close for the Pichu's comfort, it let out a small blast of sparks from it's cheeks. Ash ended up on the ground, his hair sticking up, and his shirt charred. The Pichu had shocked itself too, but the second it recovered, it scurried off, trying to get a safe distance away from the boy. Gary burst out laughing, while Misty and Dawn just looked worried.

"Wait!" Ash yelled, getting up and running after it. "I just wanna be your friend!"

"Actually, I don't think he'll learn." Leaf changed her mind as she watched Ash disappear into the shrubbery.

"Like, Misty? Where are you? We have to leave!" Misty heard her sister calling.

She turned to the others. "Bye, I have to go now!"

As she hurried off, there was another voice, this time calling Dawn.

"Dawn, dear?" Dawn quickly got to where her mother was.

"Aw, do we have to go already? I was having so much fun!" Dawn pouted.

"It's getting late. Say bye to your new friends, and we'll be on our way."

Dawn turned around to face where Gary and Leaf were standing a short distance away.

"Bye bye! Say bye to Ash for me too!" She waved to them. Leaf waved back, but Gary just looked like he was glad that she was finally leaving.

Soon, Dawn was in her car, chattering non-stop to her mother about her experience at the lab's ranch.

* * *

**So Dawn and Misty just happened to be in the area when they ended up visiting the lab. And since they were little, and only met once, these five probably won't even remember meeting when they meet again in the future.**

**I'm closing my poll tomorrow, so if you want to vote, feel free to! Hey, do you guys want me to tell you the results in an author's note?**

**Next weekend, next chapter! See you then!**

**Please review, and thanks for reading!**

**Bye bye for now! And have a smiling day! :)**


	23. Reading Buddies

**Hello everyone! **

**I'm actually surprised I'm updating today. I had so much school work, I barely had any time to write it this week! But somehow I did, and here you go! This week's chapter!  
**

**Oh, and the poll results are announced! You can check them out in the author's note at the end.**

**Today's topic was suggested by a guest reviewer.**

**Disclaimer: I do not own Pokemon in any way, shape or size!**

* * *

**Reading Buddies**

**Grade Two  
**

**May (7), Drew (7), Gary (7), Paul (7), Ash (7), Misty (7)**

The grade two students were whispering to one another while they waited at their desks. Their teacher, Ms. Beatrix, was outside, talking to another teacher. The day before, she had announced that this year, they were going to try a reading-buddy program, where every once in a while, students from grade seven would come and make small reading groups with them, and they would read together for half-an-hour.

"Who do you think would be in our reading group?" Ash whispered noisily to Misty, who was sitting in the desk next to him.

"I don't know." Misty replied. "I don't even know any of the big kids, other than my sisters. And Gary's sister too, I guess."

"Me neither. Actually, I know some big kids, like Gary's sister, and maybe Paul's brother a bit too. But I don't think I know anyone from grade seven."

"You know my sister, Lily. She's in grade seven."

"Yeah, but I don't really want her to be my reading buddy..."

"Me neither!"

Every instantly quieted once Ms. Beatrix reentered the classroom.

"Class, the grade sevens are here." she announced. "I want all of you to be at your best behaviour with them, and show them what good students you all are!"

The grade seven students entered the room, all remarkably taller than the grade twos. They stood at the front of the class, while their teacher stood with Ms. Beatrix.

Ms. Beatrix began giving instructions. "I want you all to find a partner from this class. Then, choose one of the older kids as another partner. Each group will have two students from grade two, and one from grade seven. Is everyone clear?"

"Yes, Ms. Beatrix!" the class chanted.

"Okay everyone, make a group!"

The class became very noisy as everyone made their way to friends, or observed the older kids, trying to pick the least scary-looking ones.

"Wanna be in my group?" Ash asked Misty, who agreed immediately. Gary and Paul had already partnered up, as had May and Drew.

Misty and Ash walked around, trying to locate a free grade seven student. Both of them ended up coming face to face with Misty's sister, Lily, much to their displeasure.

"Like, Misty! What are you doing here?" Lily asked with a raised eyebrow.

"This is my class." Misty replied, scowling.

"Okay, like, good luck finding a reading buddy, then. All the good ones are almost taken, so, like, you better hurry up!"

Misty looked a bit relieved that Lily didn't insist on becoming _their_ reading buddy (she didn't expect her to, anyways), but she still found some truth in what she was saying.

"Come on," she urged Ash as Lily walked away to meet up with two grade two girls, Duplica and Casey. "We have to find buddy! We don't want to end up with someone boring, who doesn't even want to read with us."

The two searched, and finally found a tall grade seven student, who offered to partner up with them. He had spiky brown hair (though not like Gary's), squinty eyes, and a friendly smile.

"Hello, I'm Brock." he introduced himself. "Looks like you two could use a last member to your group!"

He seemed nice enough, so Ash and Misty accepted. Soon, once everyone was in a group of three, they all went to the school library to pick out some reading material. Ash rushed over to a shelf.

"I wanna read this one!" He held up a book that had a picture of a heroic-looking man riding a Dragonite while a Pigeot flew beside him. "It's so cool!"

"Ash, you've read that one already!" Misty said, frowning. "Let's read this!" She held up her choice. "It's about a little girl who gets lost at sea, and then makes friends with a lot of water Pokemon, like Dewgong, and Seaking, and Starmie too!"

"That's sounds boring! I wanna read a cool hero-story with lots of action!"

"No, I wanna read about water Pokemon!"

"How about this one?" Brock suggested, pulling out a book that was a bit bigger that Misty's and Ash's choice from the shelf. "In this story, there is hero who goes to find a lost ship at sea. It has many water-type Pokemon, and a lot of action too, because there are many challenges he has to face, like battling pirates. I've read it before; it's great!"

"It looks very long..." Ash observed the thickness.

"There aren't any pictures!" Misty noted as she flipped through another copy of the book that she had picked up.

"That's okay, because then you can use your imagination to see what's going on!"

"But I like looking at the water-type Pokemon pictures!" Misty whined.

"The letters are too small, and it has a lot of weird, long words in it!" Ash added. He peeked at the copy Misty was holding. "Like this one! It says tur-something."

"Turbulence." Brock read the word Ash was having trouble with. "Don't worry, I'll help you guys out!"

"But-"

"Have you three picked out a book yet?" Ms. Beatrix asked as she passed by them.

"Well," Brock started.

"Okay, we'll do that book." Misty agreed, not very enthusiastically. She didn't want them to be the only ones who hadn't picked out a book yet.

"Good! Now, enjoy your story!" As the teacher left, Brock handed the copy of the book in his hand to Ash.

"Since there are only two copies, you two can use them. I'll just look over your shoulder." he offered.

Ash grinned. "Thanks!" Even if he wasn't too pleased with the book he had picked out, Ash was starting to like this guy.

They all settled down at a table that seemed a bit too small for Brock. They decided that Misty and Ash would take turns reading aloud, with Brock helping them out with difficult-to-read words.

Ash offered to start off. He kept stumbling over words, and while his grade seven buddy did correct him multiple times, he found it too frustrating. He finally put down the book with a sigh.

"Can we read something else?" he asked, hoping Brock would change his mind. Misty might have not agreed with Ash's choice of books, but she did agree with him about wanting to read something else.

"But we just started." said Brock, frowning. "We haven't even finished the first page."

"But it's too long and _boring_!"

"And I can't even understand what's going on!" Misty chimed in.

Brock thought for a second. "I think the reason you two don't get it is because you are having difficulty reading it. Maybe I can read the first chapter out to you guys, and then you could see whether you like it or not. Trust me, once you find it interesting, it'll become much easier for you guys to read!"

Misty and Ash reluctantly decided to go through with their buddy's plan. The older boy began reading, while the two only half-listened. Misty glanced around the library to see what everyone else was doing.

Lily was talking to another girl from her class, while Casey and Duplica, as well as the other girl's grade two partners, watched them, clearly wanting them to participate more in helping them read.

May and Drew were with a grade seven boy with light green hair, who kept talking in a strange way by comparing everything with something food-related. Drew stared at him confusedly, probably trying to figure out what he was saying, while May seemed to look hungrier when the boy made a chocolate reference.

Gary and Paul, on the other hand, seemed to be having a great time annoying their seventh grade partner to death. It didn't even look like they were really reading at all, and the older red-haired boy was working hard to keep it together. Misty strained her ears to hear what they were saying, and only caught the older boy loudly say something to the other two that sounded like, "_No_, my last name is _not_ Pepper!" while Gary and Paul snickered mercilessly.

Misty was pondering what that was all about when she heard something that caught her interest.

"Quickly, he mounted his Lapras, and turned back to the others. 'I'll find them.' he said solemnly. 'And I'll bring them back.'" Brock read aloud.

Just the name of Lapras, a water-type Pokemon, was enough to make Misty listen. She realized that at one point, Ash must have started to pay attention to what Brock was reading as well, because he was currently listening to him intently.

As Misty listened to the story, she began to realize that maybe it was not boring after all, and apart from the fact that it included many water type Pokemon, it also seemed to be a very interesting story overall. Suddenly, Brock stopped reading.

"Why'd you stop?" Ash asked confusedly. "I wanna know what happens next!"

"Well, that was the first chapter. I said I'll read it to you two, and you guys can decide whether you want to continue it or not." Brock explained.

"Yeah, we do! Right, Misty?" Ash nodded his head vigorously in Misty's direction, trying to get her to say yes. Misty, who completely agreed with Ash just shrugged.

"I guess it's not bad." she said, the stubborn part of her brain refusing to let her express her childish excitement about it like Ash was.

"Okay, then we'll continue this book! Which one of you would like to read aloud next?"

Misty and Ash looked at each other before turning back to the seventh grader.

"Can you?" Ash asked hopefully. "It's a lot more fun when you read it."

"I can't read _all_ of it myself." Brock explained. "It's a reading group; we all have to take turns."

"Okay." Ash thought for a second. "Can I try again?"

"No way!" Misty folded her arms. "You already had a chance. It's my turn now!"

Brock chuckled to himself. The two had been so reluctant to read the book before, but now that they were interested in it, they were fighting over who got to read it.

"Okay class!" Ms. Beatrix suddenly spoke up. "It's time for the grade sevens to head back to their class!"

This was met with groans from the grade twos, as well as "Already?" and "But we were having so much fun!"

"But we didn't finish the book!" Ash worriedly looked over at Brock.

"Don't worry." Brock assured him. "My class would be coming over every week, so we'll meet again next week." Misty and Ash relaxed.

As the grade sevens started gathering at the door with their teacher, the two went over to their other friends.

"Hi!" May said cheerily when they came up to her. "That was fun! How was your partner?"

"He was really cool!" Ash exclaimed. "His name's Brock, and we're reading an awesome book with him!"

"Ours was okay. His name is Cilan." Drew said, looking over to his green-haired partner, who was now standing beside Paul and Gary's red-haired partner and another boy with blue hair. "He kept talking about food, though. I think he was a bit hungry."

Paul and Gary walked over, each smirking widely.

"What's so funny?" May asked, puzzled. Gary turned around to face where his grade seven partner was standing.

"Bye Chili Pepper!" he called out loudly.

"My last name is NOT Pepper!" he yelled back, looking furious. "And it's not Sauce either!" He suddenly stumbled and fell down. "What the-? When did you guys tie my shoelaces together?!"

Gary burst out laughing while Paul snickered.

"Calm down, Chili." the blue-haired boy said to him. "They're just little kids."

"Just little kids! Cress, those troublemakers are out to get me!"

"Hmmm, like a delicious meal served with extra spice!" Cilan commented.

"I'll just get new partners next week..." Chili grumbled.

"Everyone, say thank you to the grade sevens!" Ms. Beatrix reminded her students.

"Thank you grade seven!" the class chanted.

"And please remember who your partners were. It'll be easier if everyone keeps the same partners, so we can get right to reading next time!"

Both Ash and Misty were glad to be meeting Brock again next week, but it seemed Paul and Gary's partner, Chili, was less than pleased.

"You know," Misty looked down at the book they had been reading. "I really want to know what happens next. I know! I'll try to read it myself!"

"Yeah, good idea!" Ash picked up one of the copies. "I'll just borrow it from the library!"

Misty frowned. "It'll be too hard for _you_ to read, Ash. You couldn't even read the first page properly!"

Ash stuck up his nose indignantly. "Can too! I might even read it faster than you, Misty!"

"No you can't!"

"Yes I can!"

Misty glared at him. "Then we'll have a race! Whoever can read the most before next week wins!"

"Yeah! Let's go tell Ms. Beatrix that we want to borrow these books!"

The two ran off to their teacher, with their books in their hands, and their enthusiasm for reading raised to a considerable height.

* * *

**Ash and Misty meet Brock and form their trio! And I also added in Cilan, Cress, and Chili, and Lily, and I mentioned Casey and Duplica too.  
**

**Okay, poll results! So for these results, I added in guest reviewer votes too, since they can't vote on my profile. So if you don't see the same results on my profile, it's because I added the guest reviewer results myself. If you're not sure what I'm saying, the main point is that I'm announcing the final results right now!**

**So the question was, who is your favourite out of the main-eight, and you were allowed to pick a maximum of three choices.**

**Okay, drum-roll please! (*drum-roll*)**

**In fourth place, we have Misty and Leaf, with 3 votes each! (*cheers and applause*)  
In third place, we have Ash, Gary and Dawn, with 4 votes each! (*more cheers and applause*)  
In second place, we have Drew, with 6 votes each! (*crowd loudly cheers and applauses*)  
**

**And finally, in first place...  
It's a tie! May and Paul, with seven votes each! (*crowd goes wild, cheering and throwing flowers*)**

**"Yay, flowers!" May cheers.**

**Drew grins and flips his hair, proud of his second place. Although first place wouldn't have been too bad either.**

**"Woohoo! I'm popular!" Gary embraces his popularity.**

**"Wait!" Dawn shrieks. "I didn't brush my hair!" (*camera turns away for a second, before focusing back on her*) "Okay, I'm done!"**

**Misty blinks as if realizing something and looks around confusedly. "Wait... where are we?"**

**"The author's note." Leaf explains. **

**"What's the author's note?" Ash asks.**

****Paul shrugs, deciding to just go with the flow.****

****And there you go! Congratulations, Paul and May, on getting first place!****

****Please review, and thanks for reading!****

****Bye bye for now! And have a smiling day! :)****


	24. Starter Excitement

**Hello, everyone! Time to update! **

**Whew, this one sure took a long time to write. It's my longest chapter yet!**

**Today's topic was suggested by _Stoll Your Gift_.**

**Disclaimer: I do not own Pokemon in any way, shape or size!**

* * *

**Starter Excitement**

**(Summer before) Grade Five**

**May (10), Paul (10), Drew (10), Gary (10), Ash (10), Misty (10), Leaf (10), Dawn (10)  
**

"I'm so excited!" Dawn bounced in her seat.

"I know, right!" Ash said enthusiastically. "I remember when I turned ten, I was so excited to get my first Pokemon that I couldn't sleep all night!"

"Wasn't that why you ended up waking up late that day and missed getting any of the three starter Pokemon?" Misty reminded him.

"Oh yeah..." Ash turned to the yellow Pokemon sitting in his lap. "But it all turned out okay, right? I mean, if I hadn't been late, then Pikachu probably wouldn't have been my first Pokemon, right, buddy?"

"Pika Pikachu!" Pikachu agreed.

Dawn, along with her seven friends, was on her way to Professor Rowan's lab in Drew's limousine, which was being driven by said friend's butler. Her mother had especially reserved a Turtwig, Chimchar, and Piplup for her there, and since she had recently turned ten, she could choose any one of those three. All of her friends had turned ten before her, so they already had their first Pokemon. And now she could finally have her own too!

"Hey, Leaf was telling me that you were already friends with Pikachu from before. Is that true?" Dawn asked curiously.

"Yep! It was just a Pichu back then! I don't remember the first day I met it, but we didn't really used to get along back then!"

"Pika, pika. Chu."

"But when did Pichu evolve into Pikachu?" May asked. "I don't think you told us how that happened."

"I didn't?" Ash rubbed the back of his head. "Well, I guess there is no time like the present, then! I remember it all as if it were yesterday..." He got a dreamy look in his eyes as he thought back to the memory.

"Pikaaaa..."

_(Flashback)_

_Nine-year-old Ash was in Professor Oak's ranch. Gary and Leaf weren't with him, because they had decided to go to the park. Ash was planning on meeting them there, but he wanted to say hi to a Pichu friend he had made first._

_"Hello, Pichu!" he called out as he spotted the tiny electric-type sitting up high on a tree branch, nibbling on an apple._

_"Pichupi!" Pichu looked down at him. They had met a long time ago, though neither could really remember exactly when. They hadn't started out very well, since the black-haired boy only seemed like a nuisance to Pichu. But Ash was persistent. When he made up his mind about making friends with Pichu, he wasn't going to back out._

_Slowly, Pichu started minding him less and less, and the both of them ended up forming a bond. Maybe they didn't hang out all the time, and Pichu didn't always listen, but they could have a little fun together sometimes without Ash getting zapped._

_"Hey Pichu, come on down!" Ash waved at it. Pichu looked at him reluctantly, and then back at the apple. It decided it would fill its tummy first._

_"Oh, come on!" Ash urged. "I'm gonna turn ten in a few months, so I thought maybe I could practice having a Pokemon with you. I know! Let's go around and we can practise battling! Like a real trainer and Pokemon!"_

_As Pichu continued to look disinterested, Ash frowned._

_"Fine! I'll battle the Pokemon myself!" He observed the area around him, and located a few Pidgey sitting a short distance away._

_Ash tried to think out a strategy. He didn't have his own Pokemon, and Pichu refused to help him, so he would have to try to battle them himself. Question was, how?_

_The answer came to him in the form of a rock. Grinning confidently, he picked it up and flung it it the direction of the three Pokemon. The stone, however, did not quite reach them, and they flew off, feeling threatened._

_Ash frowned, but caught sight of another flying-type that was standing much closer than the three Pidgey had been. He was going to get it this time for sure! _

_Aiming carefully, he pulled his arm back and used all his might to throw it at the Pokemon._

_"I got it!" he cheered. Unfortunately, when it turned to face him, he discovered that it was not a Pidgey, but instead a much more aggressive flying-type. It was a-_

_"Spearow!" the Pokemon let out a battle-cry as it dove towards him in full rage. Ash managed to duck just in time. When it missed its next, and third attacks, it glanced around and spotted Pichu, still in the tree, watching it curiously._

_"Pichu! Pi!" Pichu quickly got out of the way as the Spearow redirected its attacks towards it._

_"Hey, leave it alone! It didn't throw the rock!" Ash yelled out. But the Spearow paid no attention. Just when it nearly knocked the electric-type off the branch, the tiny Pokemon let out a jolt of electricity, shocking the Spearow, and sending it falling to the ground._

_"You go it!" Ash cheered as Pichu quickly made its way off the tree and beside its friend. But the Spearow wasn't done yet.  
_

_"Spearow!" it called out, and five more Spearow emerged from a nearby tree._

_"Uh oh." Ash stared nervously as the small flock began making its way towards them. He turned to Pichu. "Should we run?"_

_"Pichu." Pichu nodded in full agreement. _

_Both began running off at full speed, the Spearow in hot pursuit. Eventually, they found they couldn't run anymore, because their path was cut off by the lake. Ash, having been at Professor Oak's ranch many other times before, knew that it was not a good idea to jump into the lake, where a certain territorial Gyarados, who did not particularly like humans, dwelled.  
_

_Pichu and Ash faced the Spearow that had cornered them._

_"Don't worry, Pichu." Ash stood in between his friend and the flock, facing the Spearow. "No matter what, I'll save you!"_

_"Pichu..." Pichu watched him, as if suddenly understanding that he meant what he was saying. "Pichu!"_

_"What? Pichu...?" Ash turned around to see that the little Pokemon was suddenly glowing brightly. It transformed, taking the shape of another Pokemon, much larger than it previously was._

_"Pikachu!" the new Pokemon's cheeks sparked._

_"Pichu! You evolved into Pikachu!" Ash said, stunned._

_ Pikachu faced the flock, that had gotten bored of the scene before it, and was now charging at them, ready to attack._

_"Pikachuuuuuuu!" Pikachu let out a strong bolt of electricity, blasting its foes away._

_"Pikachu, that was awesome!"_

_(End of Flashback)_

"So that's how it happened." May said. "So, after that, I'm guessing that when you became Pikachu's trainer, you two got along very well?"

"Nope, not at all!" Ash admitted. "See, when I came late to get either Charmander, Bulbasaur, or Squirtle, I asked Professor Oak if there was any Pokemon left. _Any_. And it turns out he had caught Pikachu, because he had thought that I might want to keep it since we were already such good friends. But Pikachu didn't really trust me like that. As a friend, definitely, but as the one who would take care of it? No way! I ended up getting shocked a good many times! Plus, it was sort of angry at me because it thought it was my fault it ended up in a pokeball. It _really_ doesn't like being in its pokeball."

"Yeah, we know." Gary interjected.

"Kind of reminds me of the time Budew evolved." Drew said nostalgically.

"Oh yeah? How did that happen?" Misty asked.

"Well, Budew lived in my garden, so I met it when I was very little. Maybe even before kindergarten. It used to follow me around whenever I was outside, so I guess we sort of became friends that way.

"Then, about two years ago, some Beedrill came into the gardens. It was pretty normal, since they come all the time, but I think I might have gone too close to a tree that had their nest or something, because they suddenly began trying to attack me. Budew came to my rescue, and evolved into Roselia. Grass type moves aren't very effective against Beedrill, but Stun Spore was enough to slow them down while we got away."

"Wow, you guys have such exciting stories about how you got your starters!" May remarked. "For me, my dad is really good friends with Professor Birch, so I just got Torchic from him."

"I got Squirtle from Grandpa." Gary bragged. "Of course, he'd let me have the best one! It's great to have a grandpa in the Pokemon business, isn't it?"

"Squirtle was the best choice? Oh please! That's only a matter of opinions." Leaf said smugly. "Bulbasaur was the obvious choice for me, because I wanted it more than Squirtle."

"You only chose Bulbasaur because green's your favourite colour!" Gary accused.

"Maybe that's why I wanted it when I was little." Leaf admitted. "But when I grew a bit older, I wanted it because I like Bulbasaur itself."

"I got Staryu as my starter." Misty said. But then she frowned. "Actually, Daisy caught it for me the day I turned ten, because she forgot to get Professor Oak to reserve three starters with me. She caught a water-type, because she knew I'd love it, even if it weren't one of the actual starters. She was right though." Misty shrugged. "I love Staryu anyways, even if I only got it because my sisters are forgetful."

"Wasn't Psyduck your first Pokemon?" Ash pointed out. "You know, the one that followed you home from the picnic in grade two?"

"No!" Misty protested. "That dumb duck just wouldn't stop following me, and it only stayed at my house because it didn't want to leave for some reason! I didn't even catch it; it got itself caught in a pokeball lying around in my room, and that was _after_ I got Staryu. I still can't believe it followed our bus all the way back from that park way back then."

"You got Turtwig, right Paul?" Ash directed his statement at his purple-haired friend.

"Hn." was the response.

"I don't know why, though." Gary said thoughtfully. "I was sure you were going to pick Piplup! When you were comparing Turtwig, Chimchar, and Piplup the week before you turned ten, you decided Piplup would be the best choice, since it can learn water and ice type moves, and even some flying ones like peck. Plus it evolved into Empoleon, which was part steel, and can learn lots of different moves too."

"Hn."

"We're here!" Dawn exclaimed as a building came into sight. And not just any building; it was Professor Rowan's lab!

Dawn excitedly hopped out of the car first, ready to pick her Pokemon, even though she hadn't decided which one she was going to pick yet. But there was no need to worry! All of her friends had such great experiences with their starters; she couldn't wait to meet hers!

The moment the eight friends stepped into the lab, Dawn discovered that maybe there was some need to worry.

"Piplup, calm down!"

"Chimchar, please!"

Professor Rowan's assistants were yelling at the water-type and fire-type starters, who were apparently causing chaos all over. A Staraptor and Starly, startled by all the commotion, were flying frantically around, causing even more damage.

"Chim chim char!" Chimchar taunted, as Piplup got angrier, and unleashed Bubblebeam. A window was hit, and it shattered, creating Chimchar's escape-door. Piplup jumped out the hole after the fire-type, wanting to make it pay for... well, whatever it had done to get it angry. The two flying-types felt obliged to go out too.

"Whoa!" Gary observed the mess around him.

Dawn blinked. "What just happened?"

"I was thinking the exact same thing." a gruff voice sounded from behind the group of friends. They turned around to face a man with white hair and a white mustache who looked like he had just entered through the doors.

"He's back!" one of the assistants cried out anxiously.

"Well, yes, because this_ is_ my lab." the professor said irritatedly.

"I'm so sorry!" one of the assistants apologized. "We had some trouble with the Chimchar and the Piplup, and now they've escaped."

"We've only have Turtwig left." the first assistant looked over at the grass-type, who was peacefully finishing up the last bits of the food in front of it. It smiled sweetly at everyone, thinking that it would probably end up being picked as a starter since the other two weren't around.

Professor Rowan sighed. "We'll have to send someone to go find the other two. In the meantime, you guys should start cleaning up this mess."

"Right away, sir!" The assistants began picking up fallen papers and tidying up. Professor Rowan turned to the group of ten-year-olds.

"I am guessing that one of you is Dawn?" he inquired.

"Yeah, she is." Ash pointed to Dawn.

"Well, Dawn, I apologize for this. You will have to wait a while longer while we get those two back, so you can pick your starter properly."

"Sir, I'd like to go look for them!" Dawn declared unexpectedly.

"Hm?"

"We're talking about one of my future Pokemon! I want to do what I can to help get them back!"

"Well, it is very good of you to offer, but those two might have gone into the forest. There are many wild Pokemon there, and I just cannot allow you to go in there without the protection of your own Pokemon."

"We can go too!" Ash offered. "All of us have Pokemon, so we can all go together!" He glanced enthusiastically around at everyone else, clearly looking for their support.

"Count me in!" Misty boldly stepped up beside him. "If my friend needs help, I'll give to her, no problem!"

"It shouldn't be too hard!" Drew flipped his hair, agreeing as well.

"Sure, I guess." May said, although she was still a bit nervous about the fact that she might end up in a battle with a wild Pokemon.

"Do I have to even say it? Of course I'm coming!" Leaf chimed in.

"Yeah!" Ash turned to Paul expectantly. The purple-haired boy noticed his gaze.

"What?"

"Aren't you coming too?"

"I wasn't planning to."

"Aw, come on, Paul! Please? For Dawn?"

"Not interested."

"But Paul...!"

"Leave it, Ash. I think we have enough people." Dawn interrupted. She turned to everyone. "Thanks, everybody! You guys are such great friends!"

"Wait! Where's Gary?" Leaf reminded everyone. They searched the room, and found him seated at a table, mesmerized by a thick book.

"Gary!" Leaf called out.

"Mmhmm..." Gary responded absentmindedly

"What are you doing?"

"Reading." He tore his eyes from the pages to face Professor Rowan. "You study Pokemon evolution, right?"

"Why, yes, I do, in fact."

"So, how exactly do Pokemon evolve? Why is different for every Pokemon? I mean, some need certain items, while some only evolve during a specific time of the day. And some take a much longer time, and some much shorter, and how is it that some Pokemon, like Magikarp, evolve into something completely different, like Gyarados?" Gary bombarded the elderly professor with question after question. Professor Rowan blinked.

"Well, I have been studying evolution for many years, and I still don't know many of the answers. However, I do have some theories, though I doubt you'd be interested to hear them, since they are pretty long, and I'm sure someone your age will find them too complex and boring."

"No, I'm interested!" Gary said earnestly. Professor Rowan studied him for a moment before replying.

"Well, if you say so..."

* * *

"AAAHHH!" A loud shriek filled the air.

"Misty, what's wrong?" Ash and the others quickly turned to see whether their friend was in trouble or not.

"It's a BUG!" The orange-haired girl pointed to a tree, where there was a large Ariados. They had barely been a few minutes in the forest, and Misty already looked as if she were ready to leave any minute. "They're everywhere!"

It was true. At nearly every tree, an Ariados was settled. But they didn't look particularly threatening.

"Come on, Mist, they're not doing anything!" Ash tried to reassure her.

Misty shook her head. "No way! I can't stay here any longer; I'm going back!"

"But _Mistyyyyy_!" Ash whined.

"I'm going back!" Misty announced. "I'll meet you guys outside the forest."

"No need to worry, Misty!" Dawn called after her. "We'll meet you when we get back!"

Now, only Dawn, Ash, May, Drew, and Leaf were left. The five walked deeper and deeper in, but with no sign of neither Chimchar nor Piplup.

Dawn sighed. "I don't see them anywhere."

"Maybe they got lost." Drew said logically.

"What if _we_ get lost?" May realized, sounding terrified.

"No need to worry, May!" Leaf said, stealing Dawn's catchphrase. "Drew and I have grass type Pokemon, and grass-types are pretty good at finding their way through forests. Besides, we couldn't have gone far. We've only been here for about ten minutes!"

"Feels like much longer to me..."

"Look!" Ash pointed out in front of him. An Ariados was standing in the path. The minute it saw them, it unleashed Poison Sting at them.

The group got out the way, screaming. But the bug-type was persistent.

"Why is it attacking us?!" May screamed over all that ruckus. Drew looked back, and saw the possible reason.

"I think we went too close to its nest!" he yelled. And sure enough, there was a large web close to where they were standing.

"Pikachu, use Thundershock!" Ash ordered, and the electric move hit the bug-type accurately. However, it decided to call its friends for back-up.

"Ariados!" Another Ariados appeared to assist the first one's attack. And then another.

Poison Sting attack was being aimed everywhere, and the friends ran in all directions to run get away. Finally, Dawn managed to end up in a small area amongst the trees, where she was not being attacked. She was saved!

"Whew! That was a close one! Are you guys-?" She abruptly stopped when she turned around to face the others. Except they weren't there.

"Hello?"

* * *

"Ash? Drew? Dawn? Where are you guys?" May called out. She had escaped the attackers along with Leaf, but the problem was, the group had gotten separated.

"Don't worry, May. We'll find them, especially with Bulbasaur helping us out!" Leaf had her Pokemon out. Although it did seem to be pretty comfortable in the forest, truth was, it was an unfamiliar place to it, and it wasn't completely sure about the way out.

"Do you think they're all right?" May asked anxiously. "Do you think they got away from the Ariados?"

"Of course they did!" Leaf said reassuringly, but mostly to stay positive, since worrying wouldn't do them any good right now. "Besides, Drew and Ash have Pikachu and Roselia. They can always help out if they need to battle."

"What about Dawn?"

"She's probably with them." Leaf said, which would have sounded very unconvincing to anyone, but seemed like a satisfactory answer for May. After all, her friend wouldn't lie, right?

* * *

"Hey Dawn! May! Leaf!" Ash yelled out.

"Pikapika!"

"Guys! Where are you?" Drew shouted out.

There was no answer.

"You think they're in trouble?" Ash asked.

Drew thought for a second. "Well, May has Torchic, a fire-type, so she should be okay if she runs into anymore Ariados, since fire type moves are super effective against bug-types. Leaf, she has Bulbasaur. It might not be very good against Ariados, but Leaf's pretty clever. She'll figure something out. And Dawn, let's just hope she's with one of the others."

The two stayed quiet for a minute, before Ash spoke up. "So, um, where exactly are we?"

Drew looked around. "Well, we're in the forest." he answered lamely.

"Any _other_ clue as to where we should head?"

Leaf's words suddenly made their way into Drew's mind. "Maybe Roselia can help. Roselia, go!"

"Roselia." Roselia emerged from its pokeball and stood elegantly beside its partner.

"Roselia, can you help us out by telling us which way we should go?"

"Rose..." The grass-type observed the surrounding area. It wasn't familiar with the forest, since it lived in Drew's mansion's gardens all its life. But it could sort of sense which way might be the safest.

"Ariados!" Before any of them could decide of a path, an Ariados located them, probably still thinking of them as intruders.

"Aria! Ariados!" A few more of its friends joined it, and Ash and Drew found themselves in trouble with no escape.

"Great. What do we do now?" Drew mumbled.

Ash stared determinedly at his opponents. "We have to battle our way out. Pikachu, I choose you!"

* * *

"Uh oh..."

"What is it Leaf?"

"Looks like we have company!" The green-eyed girl pointed up ahead, where some angry-looking Ariados looked like they were getting ready to attack.

"What do we do?!" May said frantically.

"My advice would be... RUN!" The two girls began running as fast as they could in the opposite direction from where the Ariados were. But the bug-types weren't giving up! They managed to surround the two, with no way to escape.

"We're doomed!" May shrieked.

"No, we're not! We're going to have to battle them! Bulbasaur, get ready!"

"W-what?! How are we going to do that?!"

"Use Torchic! It should have the advantage!"

"R-right!" May fumbled with her pokeball, and finally let out her little fire-type. "Now what?"

"Attack! Bulbasaur, use Razor Leaf to push them back!"

Bulbasaur obeyed, and unleashed Razor Leaf. Some of the Ariados countered with Poison Sting. Since there were more than one attacks at once, Bulbasaur ended up having to be the one to back up to dodge.

"May, tell Torchic to use a fire type move!"

"O-okay!" May squeaked hesitantly. "Torchic, use a fire type move!" Her Pokemon confusedly stared back at it.

"Come on, May! Tell it to use Ember!"

"Torchic, Ember!"

"Torrrr!" Torchic's Ember attack had a much greater effect than Razor Leaf.

"Bulbasaur, Sleep Powder!"

Bulbasaur let out a blast of white powder, which hit some of their opponents, who slowly fell asleep. However, some other Ariados made huge web-walls to prevent the powder from getting on them.

"Ugh, what do we do now?" Leaf said, frowning. The Ariados were climbing their webs to prevent some of the attacks from reaching them. It was hard to get an attack to make contact.

"Ariados!" Multiple Poison Stings were launched in their direction. Neither May nor Leaf had time to react. They were going to get hit...

"Turtwig, Razor Leaf!"

"Staryu, Water Gun attack!"

The oncoming attack was intercepted. May and Leaf turned to see who their rescuers were, it it turned out to be two of their friends.

"Misty! Paul!"

"Turtwig, tackle!" Paul ordered, getting his Pokemon to knock away an oncoming Ariados.

"Staryu, Swift!" Misty's Staryu's Swift attack knocked back multiple Ariados at once.

"Withdraw!" Turtwig raised its defense to endure a Poison Sting attack.

"Bubblebeam, Staryu!" Staryu's attack hit its targets.

Leaf and May joined in the fight, and together, even though their Pokemon ended up being a bit exhausted, they managed to ward off the Ariados.

"Whew! It was sure lucky you guys came along!" Leaf sighed in relief.

"Why _did_ you guys come?" May inquired. "You were saying you didn't want to come, Paul. And Misty, you didn't want to come along because of all the bugs."

"I was outside the forest, waiting for you guys to come back, when I thought I heard you guys screaming. I thought maybe you guys were in trouble, and came running! I couldn't find you, but I did run into Paul." Misty explained.

"What about you, Paul?"

"I got bored waiting in the lab. I decided to come out here and train Turtwig a bit. And then Misty appeared out of nowhere."

"Hm, but isn't training Turtwig against poison type Ariados a bad idea?" Misty reasoned.

"No. Why?"

"Turtwig can end up getting really hurt! Poison type moves do a lot of damage against it." May chimed in.

"If Turtwig can't stand a small Poison Sting attack, then that means I'm not training it hard enough."

May looked shocked at Paul's uncaring, while Misty looked furious.

"But Paul...!"

"May, Misty, we can criticize Paul's training methods later." Leaf interjected seriously. "Right now, we need to search for the others."

"Where are they, anyways?" Misty wondered.

"We got attacked by some Ariados, and then we all got separated!" May moaned. "We can't find them!"

"Come on!" Leaf led the way. "They might be in trouble!"

* * *

"Pikachu, Thundershock again!"

"Piiiiikaaaa!"

"Roselia, another Petal Dance!"

"Rooooselia!"

Ash, Drew, and their Pokemon were exhausted. They had been battling for a while, but it wasn't enough. They needed help!

"Ash! Drew!" The two boys turned around to find Leaf, May, Misty, and Paul running up to them. "We finally found you!"

"Yeah, we really need some back-up right now!" Ash said, grateful that they now had more help.

After some more intense battling from all six of them, the Ariados finally left.

"It's great you guys came when you did." Drew said.

"Yeah, we were at our limit!" Ash added.

"So, is that everyone?" Leaf counted everyone in the group. "No, wait, we're missing someone."

"Where's Dawn?" May asked.

Everyone looked at one another, and then headed out to locate their last, missing, Pokemon-less friend.

* * *

Okay, she was in a bit of a bind. Her friends were nowhere to be seen, and running off in a random direction hadn't helped either. Dawn was now completely and utterly lost.

"Pip! Piplup pip!" A cry of distress caught her attention. She ran to find the source, and came across a huge Ariados web, on which some Pokemon like Weedle were caught. But the most noticeable captive was a blue Pokemon, stuck right in the middle.

"Piplup!" Dawn cried out. "Don't worry, I'll get you out!"

"Aria-ariados!" An Ariados appeared, no doubt to protect its web.

"Ariados, you let Piplup go!" Dawn commanded.

The only response to this was a Poison Sting attack, which Dawn avoided.

"Wait!" Dawn suddenly got an idea. "Come on Ariados! Come and get me!"

Her taunts got the bug-type to follow her, launching poorly aimed Poison Sting attacks after her. Dawn managed to evade the attacks, and Ariados followed her, going in a circle. They ended up with Dawn standing in front of the web, with Ariados facing her.

"Pip-piplup!"

"No need to worry Piplup!" Dawn winked at the Pokemon stuck on the web behind her. "I'm gonna get you out of there!"

"Pip?"

"Ariados!" The frustrated bug-type unleashed Poison Sting one more time. Dawn got out of the way, causing the attack to hit the Ariados's own web.

"Pip-pip-pip!" Piplup fell as the web was torn to shreds.

"Gotcha!" Dawn succeeded in catching it in her arms.

Unfortunately, all of this made the Ariados _extremely_ angry, and it came after them, fully enraged.

"Pip-lup-lup-lup!" Piplup hit with a Bubblebeam, and while it was distracted, Dawn and the little blue Pokemon ran off.

They stopped after a while to catch their breath.

"I think we lost it." Dawn gasped, straightening out. She looked around. They were hopelessly lost now. Oh well, it wasn't like she was any better before.

"We need to find the others." Dawn said, although she had no idea how. "Come on, let's go this way."

"Pip!" Piplup refused, too stubborn to follow directions.

"Come _on_ Piplup! You're the reason we got into this mess in the first place! This is all your fault, you know."

"Piplup!"

"Fine, Mister Stubborn, how about I just-" She stopped her sentence suddenly when some rustling in a nearby bush caught their attention.

"Pip?" Piplup sounded nervously.

"I think we should go now." Dawn suggested, eying the bush warily.

"Pip Piplup!" Piplup agreed for once.

The two walked together for a bit, when they ran into trouble yet again. This time, it didn't look like it would be as easy to get out of it.

The Ariados, whose web had been destroyed earlier, had returned, and this time with many others.

"Run, Piplup!" The two tried to escape, but failed when the Ariados created a large web-cage around them.

"Pip-lup-lup-lup!" Piplup's Bubblebeam made an opening through the web, but just as they were about to pass through it, Dawn tripped. An Ariados's String Shot had caught her boot and was holding her back.

"Go on, Piplup! I'll be fine!" Dawn urged. She tried to take off her boot, but some of the String Shot had hit her leg too. "Go on!"

Piplup looked back at her, unsure of what it should do, since it was clear that she was _not_ going to be fine. As the Ariados aimed their attacks at Dawn, she braced herself. But the attacks didn't reach her.

When she opened her eyes, she saw that Piplup was standing between her and their enemies, and was glowing brightly as it endured the attacks. It suddenly unleashed a powerful blast against the Ariados, blasting them all away.

"Wow." Dawn whispered. "That was Bide, one of the coolest moves I know...

* * *

"Dawn, there you are!" The blue-haired girl found herself a prisoner to her friend May's hug. "I was so worried! We couldn't find you, and then we saw that explosion, and then-!"

"Calm down, May, I'm fine!" Dawn insisted.

"We were looking all over for you." said Ash. "You had us all worried!"

"Well, at least you didn't get caught by those Ariados." Drew pointed out.

"Actually, I did." Dawn admitted. She knelt down to Piplup's level. "But Piplup saved me. You're my hero, Piplup!"

"Piplup!" Piplup proudly stuck up its chest.

"So, how do we get back to the lab?" Drew wondered.

"We go that way." Paul pointed in a direction.

"What makes you so sure that's the way?" Leaf asked with a raised eyebrow.

Paul said nothing, but he pointed towards the sky. Everyone looked up, and saw the Staraptor and Starly from Professor Rowan's lab, heading in the direction Paul had pointed to. Chimchar was being held by Staraptor.

"Let's just go back now." Misty said tiredly. "It's been a long day, and I don't want to have to see a single more icky bug-type!"

* * *

"So, Dawn, here are the three Pokemon you get to choose from."

It was later now, and everyone was back at the lab. Professor Rowan now had Turtwig, Chimchar, and Piplup on a table, and was presenting the three of them to Dawn.

"Come on!" Ash urged Gary, who was focused on some Pokemon evolution charts that the professor had given him. "Dawn's about to choose!" The spiky-haired boy begrudgingly got up and got to where his friends were standing.

"The grass-type, Turtwig." Professor Rowan gestured to Turtwig, who smiled sweetly.

"Tur!"

"The fire-type, Chimchar."

"Chim-chimchar!"

"And finally, the water-type, Piplup."

"Piplup!"

"I already know who I'm going to choose! Piplup!"

"Piplup!" Piplup proudly stuck out its chest.

"Chim?!" Chimchar seemed surprised at her choice.

"Piplup and I have already been through a lot together, haven't we?"

"Pip-pip!"

"Okay, then. Here is its pokeball." Professor Rowan handed her the red and white ball.

"Thanks so very much, sir!" Dawn thanked happily.

"Congratulations, Dawn." Drew congratulated.

"Yeah!" Ash chimed in. "Now you have a Pokemon too!"

"Thanks everyone!" Dawn exclaimed, beaming.

Now she too had her very first Pokemon. And she definitely had an interesting story behind it, too!

* * *

**And done! You have now reached the end of the chapter! (obviously)**

**Okay, I have a little thing I want to say. School's getting busier and busier for me, and because of that, I'm not getting as much writing done. Even my weekends are busy! Sometimes, I only get a chance to start writing on Friday, and then I finish up on Saturday mornings. So, what I'm saying is, sometimes I might update late. **

**Well, technically, if I update on Sunday, it won't be late, since for my schedule, I say I'll update on the weekends, and Sunday _is_ part of the weekend. I am going to continue trying to update as soon as possible, but if an update is late (might be after the weekend as well), it's because I'm busy. Just wanted to give a heads up!**

**Okay, you might be wondering how I managed to finish this chapter _and_ make it my longest yet when I said I'm not getting enough writing time. My answer is, I'm not sure. Maybe it was because I knew exactly what I wanted to write, so I could write non-stop. Maybe it was because I woke up early today, so I got to start writing early. Again, I'm not sure. I surprise myself sometimes too!**

**Please review, and thanks for reading!**

**Bye bye for now! And have a smiling day! :)**


	25. Valentines Day

**Hello, everyone! Sorry about the later-than-usual update. Been busy. Okay, let's read on!**

**Today's topic was suggested by _pikagirl28271_.**

**Disclaimer: I do not own Pokemon in any way, shape or size!**

* * *

**Valentines Day**

**Grade Three  
**

**May (8), Drew (8), Ash (8), Misty (9), Gary (8), Paul (9), Dawn (8)**

May hummed to herself cheerily as her pencil crayon moved back and forth on the page.

"Done!" She held it up to admire her work.

It was a large, pink, heart-shaped Valentines card, bordered with white lace ribbon, and with three chocolates in red wrapper pasted in the middle. It was perfect! Carefully, May wrote a note, and printed 'For Dawn' on it as neatly as she could. Then, tucking her masterpiece into a pink envelope, May got started on the next card.

Since Valentines Day was coming up, her class was having a small Valentines Day party. Her teacher, Mrs. Primm, had said that everyone has to make cards for each and every classmate, even if it wasn't a friend. That way, it would guarantee that everyone had an equal number of cards or gifts, so no one would feel left out.

May had bought cards for everyone in her class, but she had wanted to make her friends' cards by herself, to make them more special. Of course, her mother had to help her a couple of times to make sure the cards were looking their best. There was no way May could have managed to border Dawn's card with lace so neatly by herself.

Her mother had also helped her make Misty's card in the shape of a Luvdisc. May knew that Misty was not a girly-girl, and did not really like anything mushy. So she had had the ingenious idea of making her card a Luvdisc, a heart-shaped water-type Pokemon. Misty _loved_ water-types.

Ash's card was a red heart, with some Pokemon stickers on it. And she also added on an extra chocolate, since she knew how much he loved those little treats. She was proud that she resisted the temptation of devouring all of them herself, although she had to keep reminding herself that they were for her friends, and not her.

She had made Leaf's a pink heart with red and green stripes. Green wasn't a Valentines colour, but it was Leaf's favourite, so no doubt she would love it. Leaf didn't go to the same school as her, though, but she could have Gary send it, since, he lived right next-door to her.

Gary's card was red, like Ash's, with many Pokemon stickers on it as well. They were mostly stickers of strong-looking fully-evolved Pokemon, since those were the kind he was most interested in.

Paul had been tricky. Ash loved getting cards, and Gary was fine with it, mostly because he could then show-off how many cards or chocolates he got, and Drew always liked receiving cards too. None of them were concerned about how Valentines cards and hearts were girly or anything. But Paul was a different story. He disliked anything romantic or love-related in general, meaning May had to be careful with how she made his card, so it would not end up in the garbage. She ended up with a blue card with a small red heart in the middle. Since he wasn't crazy about too much sweet chocolate, she especially picked out three small ones for him from the store, since they were slightly bitter instead of completely sweet.

Now, she was working on the final card: the one for Drew. Her mother had helped her draw a large red rose on the front of the card, since he seemed to like roses. Now, she was drawing a picture on the back. It was of him, standing outside on a sunny day, with many red flowers (since May was having difficulty making them look like roses) surrounding him.

She giggled as she coloured his green hair. It looked just like grass! Before she knew it, she was drawing flowers sticking out of his hair. Suddenly, she realized what she had done. She had just made Drew look like he had a garden on his head, and on his Valentines card too! She had to find some way to fix it...

"Whatcha doing?" May's little brother Max arrived, distracting her from her current problem.

"I'm making Valentine cards." May answered, stuffing the card into an envelope so he wouldn't see it. If he did, he might think she did it on purpose, and he might tell her mom, and then her mom might think she was making fun of her friend. She'll just have to find some way fix it later, when no one else was around.

Max noticed the pack of chocolates on the table. "Can I have a chocolate?"

"No!" May said quickly, pulling them out of reach. "There are only three left, and they are going to be for Drew!" Okay, so maybe she hadn't _completely_ resisted eating _some_ of the chocolates. At least she had managed to save enough for all her friends.

"Please? Just one?" May hesitated. As much as she found it hard to resist her little, five-year-old brother's pleading look, she knew she had to save the chocolates for Drew. So she did the one thing that worked when she wanted her brother to go away.

"Mom!" she called out. "Max won't let me work!"

Her mother, Caroline, who had evidently been working in the kitchen, walked into the room. "Max, are you bothering your sister?"

"No. I just want one, teeny tiny chocolate. Just _one_."

May's mother turned to her. "I don't see how it would hurt to give him one. You did have so many in that chocolate pack."

"Now, I only have three. And I need them for Drew!"

Caroline put her hands on her hips. "May Maple, have you been eating the chocolates yourself? I am pretty sure there should have been more left."

"I only ate three!" May said quickly. Three plus eight.

"Hmm, maybe there weren't that many chocolates after all." May's mother said, although she seemed doubtful as she eyed the empty wrappers lying on the floor. She thought for a minute. "Alright, you finish up. Max, do you want to have some cookies? I made some Valentines ones."

"Okay!" Max hurried to the kitchen to get started on those delicious treats.

"Wait, I want some too!" May ran after him, not wanting her brother to finish all of them before her.

Caroline smiled after the two. She noticed all the cards in their envelopes, sitting on the table. May had been working hard for so long; Caroline decided to finish up for her. She noticed that the envelope that had Drew written on it had a card inside, but no chocolates, so she tucked the final three into it. She then got to work sealing all the envelopes.

* * *

It was the next day, and more specifically, Valentines Day! After dropping Max off in kindergarten, May excitedly began walking to class, the bag full of the cards in her hand.

"Why, if it isn't my little gingerbread cookie!" A voice sounded from behind her. May turned around.

"Hi Harley!" she said cheerfully in a sing-song voice, greeting the high-school student 'friend' she had once made a long time ago.

"Now, what have you got there?" Harley, who had a tray in his hands, noticed the bag she was holding.

"They're Valentines cards." May explained. "We're having a party, so I had to make cards for everyone!"

"Oh, we don't have Valentines parties in my _high school_ class." Harley said, emphasizing 'high school'. "But, I decided to make some cookies for everyone. You want one?" He offered her a cookie from the tray he was holding.

"Thank you!" May carefully placed her bag down by her feet while she picked out one. Which was exactly what Harley had been expecting her to do.

"Whoopsie!" he said, as he 'accidentally' nudged (more like kicked) the bag, making all the cards fall out, scattered on the floor.

"Oh no!" Abandoning her cookie, May knelt down to gather all the cards and put them back into the bag.

"Oh, I'm sorry!" Harley 'apologized'. "My bad! Well, my sugar plum, I would love to stay and help, but my hands are a bit full with this tray right now, and I need to get to class. "Later, honey bun!"

"It's okay Harley." May said, thinking he was being sincere. But he had already left.

"Need some help?" A girl from her class named Brianna asked, noticing the trouble May was having.

"Thanks!" May gladly accepted the helping hand, and the two made it to class after cleaning up.

Meanwhile, outside, Drew was stepping out of his limousine.

"Are you _certain_, Master Andrew?" his butler asked, eying the large bag Drew was carrying with a lot of effort.

"I'm fine!" Drew insisted. He briefly let go of the bag with one hand to flip his hair confidently. "I can carry this myself!"

"Are you absolutely sure? I can carry it for you."

"Yes, I'm fine." Drew struggled a bit, before managing to start walking towards the school. "See?" Of course he could carry the bag all by himself. He was in grade_ three_ now, not kindergarten. His butler never seemed to let him do things on his own.

"If that is what you wish, Master Andrew." The butler watched him dubiously until he had seen that the boy had entered through the school doors before driving off.

Drew dragged the bag along with him, heading for his grade three class. It was a lot heavier than he had expected. He didn't have just cards in there, but small goodie-bags for each of his classmates as well. Doing this by himself gave him a feel of independence, but he found himself regretting declining his butler's help a small bit. He paused for a moment, putting the bag down beside him to take a break.

"Well, if it isn't Drew. Hi!"

Drew turned, as he recognized the voice, coming face to face with an older girl.

"Hi Solidad." he greeted politely.

"You need help with that?" She gestured to the bag he had been handling. Drew thought for a second. He had had enough 'independence' for one day.

"Yes please. Thank you." Then, feeling extremely lucky about having a high school student as his friend, Drew led her over to his class.

* * *

May quickly slipped the last card from her bag into a box. There! All done! Every student had a box made especially for them, in which everyone else was putting the Valentines Day cards and gifts.

May noticed Brianna placing an extra-large card in Drew's box. She caught her eye, and Brianna smiled, putting her finger to her lips. May nodded in return, confirming that she won't say anything to Drew.

"Hi, May!" Dawn hurried up to her. "My box looks very full. Can't wait till we get to see what we got! What about you?"

"Yeah! I hope I got a lot of candy!" May said, imagining how much candy was in her box.

"Hello! Your favourite person, Gary Oak, is here!" Gary announced as he strutted into the room. He eyed his nearly-full box and grinned. "Yep, I'm definitely everyone's favourite!"

"No, your not." Misty came up behind him, looking annoyed, Ash following closely behind. "_Everybody's_ box is that full."

"Hey, where is Paul?" Drew wondered, coming up to the group.

"Over there." Dawn pointed to Paul's desk, where said boy was sitting grumpily, evidently in a sour mood. "Even_ he_ brought cards. He said his brother made him."

"Oh ya!" Gary remembered something, and he quickly began pulling something out from his school bag. "Leaf sent everyone cards. She said she didn't send any candy too because then she thinks I might take all of them instead of giving them to you. Hmph! As if!"

"I have something for Leaf too!" May quickly handed over the card she had made for her friend. It seemed the others had had the same idea. "I wish I could have given it to her in person."

Gary shrugged. "Maybe next year. She _was_ saying something about moving to this school."

He handed the cards to whomever they were sent for, before heading over to his classmates' boxes with Misty and Ash to fill them even more with the cards they had brought.

Later, Mrs. Primm brought heart-shaped cookies and red fruit-punch for everyone, which were to be eaten in a short while, and they began their little party.

May excitedly emptied her box, looking through everything she received, especially pleased with the cards her friends had given her.

Gary was counting everything he had gotten, getting ready to compare the number with others. Drew tried to point out that he probably got the same number as everyone else, but Gary was convinced someone had given him extras.

Apparently, nearly everyone had found some kind of way to make Misty's cards non-girly. She was very satisfied with what she got, and particularly adored the Luvdisc card from May. However, it seemed Gary had given her a Combee-shaped card saying 'Com-bee my Valentine' as a joke, because he knew she hated bug-types. Losing her temper, she chucked it accurately at his head without being caught by Mrs. Primm's sharp eyes, since the teacher was getting the punch and cookies ready on a table.

Dawn thanked her friends for the cards and gifts they had given her after she looked through them. She reached Paul's desk to thank him. The cards he had given everyone were store-bought and very plain, although Dawn had noticed that he had stuck one chocolate on every card that was for those in their friend-group.

"Thank- what are you doing?" Dawn became distracted as she noticed that instead of reading the cards, Paul was yanking all chocolates and candies off them and putting them in a pile.

"What do you think I'm doing?" he muttered without looking up, still focused on his task.

"You're only taking the candy? I thought you didn't like sweet stuff."

"I don't. They're for my brother."

Dawn smiled. "That's very nice of you, giving him all that candy!"

"You think I'm gonna just give it to him? No, I'm gonna sell it to him." He counted the number of treats he had gathered up so far. "Not bad. That's more than last year. I'll probably get a pretty good price this time."

Dawn made a face. "Never mind..."

The next card he pulled out was a blue one with a small red heart in the middle and three chocolates in brown wrapper pasted on. Dawn recognized them as being the bitter-flavoured ones which she had seen at the store. The card had 'From May' written on it. Paul paused for a moment, read the card, smirked, and pocketed the chocolates from May before continuing with his work.

"WOW!" someone exclaimed. Dawn turned to see Ash admiring an extra-large card. "Look at the size of the chocolate!" There was a huge heart-shaped chocolate that had come with it.

As Ash gobbled it up, Dawn noticed a shy, quiet girl named Serena, who was sitting at the back, watching him, a tiny blush on her face, before she went back to her own cards.

Dawn gasped loudly, making the connection. "Did you see that?" she whispered loudly to Paul.

"No." he answered bluntly, his eyes still trained on the candy-counting. "Now go away."

Dawn frowned. "Glad to!" She walked over to May to see what she thought of the card she had given her.

May had picked up the card she had received from Drew. She glanced over at her green-haired friend as she opened up the envelope.

Drew was slowly reading through all of his cards and gifts at his own pace. When he reached Brianna's he easily guessed who it was from, and sent her a smile across the room. This resulted with the girl blushing and smiling proudly at the acknowledgement.

May suddenly noticed the next card that Drew had in his hand. It was the one from her. She suddenly remembered something: she had not fixed that little mistake she had made. She had gotten distracted with the cookies her mother had baked, and had completely forgotten that she was supposed to be fixing the card! What if Drew thought she was making fun of him? What it he got upset and offended? What if he didn't want to be friends with her anymore and stopped talking to her and their whole friendship became ruined?

She had to stop him before it was too late! With Drew's unread envelope still in hand, she got up, and began walking towards her friend.

Drew had opened the envelope, and was about to pull out the card, when suddenly, his eyes widened as if remembering something. He got up, and began walking towards May's desk. The two of them met halfway.

"Hello." May said, anxiously, rocking back and forth a bit. She glimpsed at the card in Drew's hand. Had he read it? He didn't look angry...

"Hey." Drew calmly flipped his hair, acting nonchalant. But May noted that his eyes had flickered to the card which she was holding. "So, did you read my card?"

"Not yet. Did... did you read mine?"

"I was about to." He looked at the card, before turning back to May. "You know, maybe you should just... forget about mine."

May blinked. "Huh? Why?"

Drew shrugged. "Because, you know, you already have so many, so mine's probably not gonna make a difference. And... oh, forget it! Look," He looked her in the eye. "I kind of made a mistake in the card I gave you, and then I forgot to fix it. So... I was just thinking that maybe you shouldn't look at it."

May was stunned. "I made a mistake on your card too!" she admitted. "I was going to fix it, but then Max came, and my mom made cookies, and my mom closed all the envelopes, and then I forgot."

"So we both made a mistake on each other's cards. That means we're even." Drew was now looking at the envelope in his hand interestedly, curious as to what the mistake was, not unlike how May was observing her envelope.

"Why don't we both open them?" May suggested. "We both made mistakes, so it's okay right? We won't get angry at each other?"

"Yeah." Drew agreed, and both opened the envelopes, taking out the cards that they had received from each other.

May's card from Drew was extremely fancy-looking. May loved it, but when she read it, she frowned. Instead of it saying 'To May', it had 'To February' written on it. And even in the note, it said 'Thanks for being such a great friend, February!' instead of 'May'.

Drew raised his eyebrows when he saw May's drawing on the card she had given him. He looked up at her.

"Flowers in my hair?" He had an amused look in his eye.

"My name is May!" May pouted, but she didn't stay like that for long. Instead, she burst into giggles, mostly from relief. Even Drew chuckled a little.

"Well," he said, "it's definitely more interesting than all my other cards."

"And I don't think I'll ever forget who _this_ was from!"

The two chuckled a bit more, until Mrs. Primm announced that they could now have the cookies and punch.

Gary's disappointment at finding out that he hadn't obtained any extra gifts was extinguished when he picked out the biggest cookie for himself. Ash thoroughly enjoyed his cookie, and asked for another before anyone else. Misty discovered that she particularly liked the punch. She and Dawn joined May at her desk to chat while they enjoyed their snacks. Drew sat with Gary, Ash and Paul at Gary's desk. Paul seemed to be sure of the fact that he could get at least five dollars out of Reggie with all the candy he had collected.

Overall, it had been a great party for all of them.

* * *

**And there you go! One Valentines Day chapter!**

**One hundred. I've got one hundred reviews now! I am so happy everyone, thank you! I've also gotten 31 favs, and 37 follows! Wow, that's a lot! I want to give a special thanks to every one who's been following, faving, reviewing, and just reading this in general for all your support. Thanks! :)**

**Please review, and thanks for reading!**

**Bye bye for now! And have a smiling day! :D**


	26. Playing House

**Hello everyone! **

**So sorry about the late update again! Friday and Saturday were just too busy for me. Anyways...  
**

**Today's topic was suggested by... my sister! Yes, she's a reader too. She just gives me her reviews in person.**

**Disclaimer: I do not own Pokemon in any way, shape or size!**

* * *

**Playing House**

**Kindergarten**

**May (5), Drew (5), Gary (5), Paul (5)  
**

Rain was pouring down outside, so, for recess, Ms. Kelly's kindergarten class decided to spend the time indoors. There were plenty of activities to keep the children busy, from colouring, to looking at books, to playing with toys, and even playing dress-up. And playing dress-up was what a little girl, wearing a bright red bandana, was busy doing.

May, while she was enjoying her play, came across a little problem. It was fun dressing up, but it made her want to play pretend. But she couldn't play pretend with just herself! She needed more people. Luckily, she already had a pretty good idea of who to ask at times like these. Drew, Gary, and Paul, of course! After all, what are friends for?

Drew's grassy-green hair signaled her from the table where she and her friends usually sat. The boy was busy creating a colourful picture with crayons.

"Drew!" May hurried up to him. "I need your help!"

"What is it, May?" Drew turned to her concernedly.

"Can you play with me? I want to play, but I only have myself to play with."

"Oh." Drew glanced at his masterpiece-to-be. "But I'm colouring beaut-full scene-ree."

"Please? I only want to play for a little bit?"

Drew thought for a second. If they were only going to play for a little bit, then he would probably have plenty of time to finish colouring before recess ended. It seemed reasonable enough.

"Okay." he said, nodding and getting up. "What are we playing?"

"We need to find Gary and Paul first." she directed seriously.

After a minute of searching, they tracked down Gary trying to make the highest tower out of blocks, and refusing to share with the other children. They had to try really hard convincing him to abandon him tower, finally getting him to listen when Drew told him that what they were going to play was _much_ better than what he was doing. Despite the fact that May still hadn't told him _what_ they were doing.

The three located their purple-haired friend, Paul, soon after. He was sitting alone by the bookshelf, looking through a book with many words that he claimed he could read. Drew had learned a bit of reading because of his tutors, so it didn't seem like an impossible task to him, but Gary was convinced Paul just looked at the pictures, pretending he could read such a hard book.

"Paul, we need help!" May said, trying to catch his attention.

"Ask Ms. Kelly." Paul responded without looking up.

"Ms. Kelly can't play with us. She's the teacher." Drew pointed out.

"I don't wanna play." Paul said.

"Please!" May begged. "Just a tiny bit! A _teeny tiny_ bit!"

"No."

"If he doesn't have to play, then I don't have to." Gary declared, planning to start heading back to his blocks.

"Wait!" May cried. "But you _have_ to play!"

"Why?" Gary demanded.

"B-because!"

"Why?"

"Just because!"

Gary thought for a second. It seemed like a logical answer...

"Come on, Paul." Drew urged. "It'll be lots of fun!"

Paul looked doubtful, but he gave in. He, Drew, and Gary followed May to a corner of the class where there was a plastic kitchen set, and a box full of dress-up clothes.

"What're we gonna play?" Gary asked, facing Drew. After all, it was Drew who had told him they were going to play something better than building with blocks.

"Um..." Drew thought for a second, realizing he didn't know himself. He turned to May.

"House!" May exclaimed enthusiastically. "We're gonna play house! I'll be the mommy, and you can be..." She studied her friends, trying to decide what role would fit them best. The three boys groaned.

"You said we were gonna play something fun." Gary accused Drew.

"I don't wanna play house." Paul said sulkily. "I wanna read."

"You can be the baby." May directed Drew, whose frown became wider.

"I don't wanna be the baby!"

"I wanna play something fun!"

"I don't_ wanna_ play house."

"And then who's gonna be the daddy?" May wondered, trying to see whom the role fit best between Paul and Gary.

"I can be the daddy." Gary said suddenly, as if a thought occurred to him. He turned to Drew. "You have to go to have nap time now."

"I don't wanna be the baby!" Drew whined.

"I don't wanna play house!" Paul scowled.

"And Paul, you can be the uncle, or the big brother, or..." May tried to select a choice.

Paul became alert at 'big brother'.

"I can be the big brother." he offered.

"Okay!" May cheered.

"But I hafta go study." he explained. He triumphantly walked back to the bookshelf, where he selected the book he was looking at before to get back to reading.

It was a trick his older brother Reggie had pulled on him countless time. Whenever Reggie wanted to be left alone by Paul, he'd just tell his little brother that he needed to study and to not disturb him. Paul had once walked into his room to discover that Reggie was actually _not_ studying, but instead playing some game on his laptop.

"Bye bye!" May waved to him, happy that he was playing too.

Meanwhile, Gary and Drew had gotten into an argument.

"You _have_ to! Cuz I said so!" Gary ordered.

"I don't wanna go to sleep! I don't wanna listen to you!" Drew shouted back.

"But you have to! Cuz _I'm_ the daddy, so _I'm_ the boss! You're the baby, so you have to do what I say!"

"I don't wanna be the baby! I'm not playing!" Drew scowled and turned away with his arms folded.

"But you said you were gonna play!" May reminded him, upset at his sudden changed decision. "You were gonna be the baby."

"I don't wanna be the baby!" Drew repeated. He turned to May. "Why can't _you_ be the baby?"

"Cuz I'm the mommy! And you can't be the mommy, cuz you're a boy."

"I don't wanna be the mommy either."

"I'm bored." Gary announced. "I'm gonna play with blocks."

"Wait!" May desperately called out to her friend, who had begun to walk away. "You can't go!"

"Yes I can!"

"But we were gonna play house!" May cried. Her whole game was being ruined! Neither Drew nor Gary wanted to play with her.

"What's going on here?" Ms. Kelly asked a bit exasperatedly, arriving at the scene of the argument.

"They don't wanna play with me." May accused, sniffling a bit as she pointed to her two friends.

Ms. Kelly sighed. "May, dear," She bent down to her level. "You can't force others to play with you. They _are_ your friends, but that doesn't mean you have to do everything with them. Sometimes, friends want to do something else, too."

"But they said they were gonna play with me! All three of them did!"

"Three?" the teacher repeated confusedly. "It's only Gary and Drew."

"And Paul." May pointed to where her last friend was seated. "He's the only one who's playing."

Ms. Kelly was perplexed by May's statement, as the purple-haired boy didn't seem to be playing, but instead reading like he always did. But she didn't question it, lest it start more trouble.

"May," Ms. Kelly faced the little girl. "When you try to keep telling your friends what to do or play, they start thinking you're being bossy, and it's not fun for them. Do you think you would have fun if no one else is?"

May seemed to be in deep thought for a minute, before she sadly shook her head. "No."

"So why don't you play something different that you can do by yourself? And if the others don't want to play too, don't feel upset. Okay?"

May nodded somewhat understandingly. "Okay."

"Good girl." Ms. Kelly smiled warmly before patting May on her head and walking off to attend to some of the other children. May turned to Gary and Drew.

"Do you want to play with me?" she asked hesitantly.

"No!" Gary didn't miss a beat with his answer one bit before he rushed away to attend to his half-completed tower.

Drew felt a bit more sympathetic than his spiky-haired friend, as well as a bit guilty for letting his May down. "You can colour with me if you want." he offered.

"Okay." May accepted before walking up to Paul. "We're not playing house anymore." she informed him solemnly.

"Hn." Paul didn't really care, as it didn't make a difference to him.

May, glad that he didn't seem to be disappointed, went back to join Drew at the the table. She got a fresh sheet of paper from the small stack in front of her.

"What're you drawing?" Drew asked after a while.

"A house." May showed it to him. "And here is the mommy over here." She pointed to a small person she had drawn standing in front of the house.

"What about the daddy? And the baby?" Drew inquired.

"They didn't wanna play." May explained sadly.

Drew stared at the lonely 'mommy' before grabbing a crayon and adding something to the picture. "Here's the daddy." he said, as he made another person in the picture.

May smiled, and added something else on with her crayon. "And this is the baby!"

"And the big brother over here!"

The two continued adding more and more people to to picture, eventually bringing in grandparents and siblings and friends and teachers. They both felt the end result was a masterpiece!

And it looked like May got to play house in a way after all.

* * *

**Done! Another day of kindergarten.  
**

**Didn't think I'd update today at all, actually, but looks like I did. I'll try to update earlier next time, but no guarantee.**

**Please review and thanks for reading!**

**Bye bye for now! And have a smiling day! :)**


	27. Dodge Ball Battle

**Hello everyone! Update time!**

**Today's topic was suggested by _QUEENSPELLER67__._**

**Disclaimer: I do not own Pokemon in any way, shape or size!**

* * *

**Dodge Ball Battle  
**

**Grade Four  
**

**May (9), Gary (9), Drew (9), Paul (9), Misty (9), Leaf (9), Dawn (9), Ash (9)**

Many grade four students stood together, noisily chatting with their friends as they waited for their gym teacher. The two grade four classes in the school had their phys-ed classes together, which was why the group was a large one, and quite boisterous as well.

A loud whistle sounded in the air, bringing the on-going jabbering to an end. The students intently observed the young phys-ed instructor standing before them. The blue-haired man looked around to confirm that he had gotten everyone's attention before beginning to speak.

"Hello, everyone! I'm Mr. Brawly, your gym class teacher, and welcome to the first phys-ed class of the year!" he said to everyone in an enthusiastic way.

The kids murmured their greetings.

"Oh, come on! Show a little more enthusiasm! It's phys-ed class; time to ride the tide of success!" Brawly made an attempt to get a more energetic reaction. A few kids awkwardly and quietly cheered, but that was about it.

"Okay, then how about we get started? Today, we'll make two teams to play dodge ball. How about we have two team leaders? Let's see..." He thought for a minute, his eyes travelling from student to student. He pointed at two boys. "You look like a good candidate! And you as well. What are your names?"

"I'm Stephan!" one of the boys, who had red hair, announced.

"And I'm A.J." the second boy, who had dark, spiky hair, introduced himself.

"Nice to meet you two, Steven and A.J! Now let's see who gets to pick his team member first."

Stephan blinked. "Actually my name is Stephan, not Steven..." When no one seemed to notice the mistake he just shrugged and faced A.J. "Whatever!"

The two had an intense rock-paper-scissors match which determined that Stephan got the first pick, since his rock won over A.J's scissors.

"Okay! I pick... Morrison!" A high-spirited orange-haired boy walked over to Stephan.

"Paul." A.J made his decision.

"Ritchie."

"Misty."

"Sho."

"Gary."

And on it went, until everyone had been picked. Predictably, A.J seemed to have only picked his own classmates as his team members, as had Stephan had. Brawly might as well have said that the teams were grade 4A against 4B.

Soon, the balls were all set, and everyone was in position. Brawly checked over to see if everything was set to go before he raised his whistle to his mouth and blew.

Chaos ensued. Members from both teams made frantic dives to get to the balls first. Those who did manage to make it to the front pushed surrounding balls to their side so that they could provide their other team members with 'ammunition'.

"Yay!" May, with her bright red bandana on her head, picked up a ball that had rolled to her feet. The game had just started, and she already had a chance to get someone! She inspected the other team, scanning her opponents. A boy with round glasses, named Clemont, looked like a good target, since he seemed to be having trouble running back and forth to avoid on-coming attacks, and was becoming slower with every step he took.

Carefully, May took aim, and was about to throw, when a ball whizzed past her head, nearly touching her.

"Eep!" May quickly jumped to another spot. She couldn't stand around like that or else she would get hit! She had to keep moving.

Thud! Clemont got the wind knocked out of him when Paul mercilessly launched a ball at his target. The blond boy groaned as he made his way off the 'battlefield'.

"Aw man!" A small shout came from Ash who dropped the ball he had been holding. It appeared he had been struck out by Ritchie. He grinned to his opponent as if to say "You got me!" as he walked to join his other team members who had been hit.

Gary got a couple of people out by catching balls thrown at him. While Paul seemed to be able to strike his victim viciously with good aim, Gary evidently was excellent at dodging attacks and catching balls.

And then there was Misty, actively dodging, snatching up balls, and getting as many of their 'enemies' out as she could. Ash loudly cheered her on as she narrowly missed hitting an opponent. The ginger-haired girl glared at her friend, blaming him for her miss-aim, since his flailing arms were proving to be a great distraction. He toned down his cheers after that.

Drew was more of a cautious player. He avoided getting hit, and seemed to be watching out for his teammates, jumping in to catch or hit away a ball that was about to strike one of his team members.

Leaf was clearly quick on her feet. She swiftly leapt this way and that, avoiding getting hit, and collecting balls to hand to her other team players, who were much better at throwing. However, someone noticed this, and began aiming right in front of her feet, causing her to make the fatal stumble that led to her being struck out.

"Come on, everyone! We can win this!" she encouraged her team alongside Ash and some others.

While most of the students were putting everything they had into their battle, there were some who were less than willing to participate, some letting themselves getting hit so that they won't have to continue playing, while some stayed at the back, where it was less likely they'd get struck.

Dawn, it appeared, was not very confident about playing. At first she stayed closer to the back, but after some urging from May, she tried to help out a bit. And failed when she realized that if she tried to take her time to find a ball and throw at someone, she'd risk herself getting hit. It wasn't losing she was anxious about. It was more the fact that some players from the other team didn't really care whom they hit, or how hard they launched the ball. She spent most of her time hidden behind a taller teammate.

May discovered a free ball lying a short distance away. Boldly but carefully, she made her way beside it, picking it up. Triumphantly, she straightened out, turning towards the opposing side to locate a possible target. But the only thing she saw was a ball heading straight for her face. She closed her eyes feeling defeated, knowing it was too late to react, waiting for the impact to arrive.

But it didn't. When she opened her eyes to find out why, she spotted Drew right in front of her, the ball in his hands, as he pointed to its thrower to tell him that he was out.

"Wow, you really saved me, Drew! That was a good catch!" May said thankfully.

"Of course!" Drew took the time to flip his hair. "What else did you expect, Ju-"

Thud!

Drew blinked in surprise before realizing that maybe it _hadn't_ been the best time to stop for a chat. Dropping the ball he had caught, he began making his way over to stand among the other players that had been struck out, all the while rubbing his arm where he had been hit.

May felt a bit guilty. If it weren't for her, Drew wouldn't have had to stop to save her, meaning he wouldn't be out now. She made up her mind that his sacrifice wouldn't be in vain. Feeling determined, she marched daringly close to the line separating her team from the other, clutching her ball tightly in her grip. She aimed carefully and used her full strength to hurl it in the direction of the opposition.

Instead of going where she wanted it to, the ball pathetically crashed onto the floor, bounced, and rolled to the feet of a boy named Sho.

"Thanks so much for giving me this ball, May." Sho said, smirking mockingly.

May didn't last in the game a minute longer.

"Ha!" Gary screamed victoriously. "I got Stuven! I got Stuven! Stuven's out! Stuven's out!"

"My name is Stephan!" Stephan yelled furiously over the chanting. He scowled as he made his way to his other teammates.

After a while, there weren't many players left. Paul, Misty, and surprisingly Dawn were the only ones left on one side, while Trip, Ritchie, and Sho remained on the other.

Gary had been caught by surprise when a couple of his 'enemies' had plotted and teamed up against him, striking him out of the game. Paul was successfully managing to deflect any balls heading his way, although it was becoming harder for him to aim at a target since there weren't many anymore. It was no surprise that Misty was still in the game; her sport abilities and talents were well-known by all. Dawn had survived by hiding behind Paul's taller form, much to the latter's annoyance.

It seemed Ritchie just had a natural talent for dodge ball in general, and his skills were helping him immensely. Trip was somewhat shorter than most of the grade four students, so any balls thrown at him were easily avoided when he ducked, and he was also harder to aim at. And Sho was clearly an expert at catching balls in mid-air.

It was intense. For a while, it didn't seem like anyone was going to give in. Finally, after quite some effort, Misty achieved her goal of taking down Ritchie. The boy waved to her as a way of saying "Good game!" before getting to where he was supposed to be.

"Dawn, stop it." Paul growled as the bluenette darted behind him when he moved to avoid a ball. "You're distracting me!"

"Sorry!" she apologized, although she obviously wasn't about to change her position.

At that moment, a ball came flying towards them. Paul noticed, and jumped to the side in an instant. Dawn though, didn't react fast enough, and held out both hand in front of her with her eyes tightly shut, hoping to prevent her face from getting smashed.

Instead of the ball bouncing off her palms, it stayed there, and Dawn opened her eyes, taken aback by the fact that she had somehow caught it.

Staring at her was a stunned Sho, who was the culprit responsible for nearly striking her out. Realizing that he was now out because of the fact that Dawn had caught the ball he had thrown, he frustratedly stomped to where some of his other team members were standing.

"Nice catch, Dawn!" Misty complimented her friend.

"Um, thanks?" Dawn said, still a bit confused.

But she didn't get to stay in the game for long. Trip managed to throw a ball that caught her on the shoulder before she even knew it.

This was it. Trip against Misty and Paul, two of the best players. Trip seemed to suddenly realize that he was alone in this, and gulped.

"So how should we get him?" Misty questioned. "He keeps moving out of the way."

"We strike at the same time." Paul declared.

Both players snatched up a ball, carefully aiming at their victim, who kept moving, hoping to avoid getting hit. They were about to throw, when...

"Okay, class is up!" Brawly announced, blowing his whistle. "I've got to say, that was some impressive playing, but the game is over now!"

All the students stared at their teacher, stupefied.

"But our team was about to win!" Gary complained.

"Sorry, but the bell rang a minute ago, and you guys don't want to be late for your next classes."

"But Mr. Brawly...!"

Brawly paid no attention to the waves of complaints crashing down on him; his answer was final.

"Good game!" Stephan walked up to A.J to shake hands.

"Yeah, good game, Steffen." A.J replied.

"My name is STEPHAN!" the red-haired boy said loudly, but apparently, everyone remained deaf to his words.

"Do you think we would have won?" May asked her friends.

"Of course!" Gary scoffed. "We had him right where we wanted him!"

"No, _we_ had him right where we wanted him." Misty corrected, gesturing to herself and Paul. "_You_ got struck out."

"I guess we win by default." Drew figured. "I mean, we still had two players in, while they had only one."

"You so sure?" Trip drawled as he walked up to them. "I'm _pretty_ sure I could have gotten at least one more player out if there was more time."

"No, I don't think so." Dawn said thoughtfully. "They would have struck you out if Mr. Brawly hadn't blown the whistle when he did."

"Guess we'll never know for sure." Leaf commented, shrugging.

"Yeah, it was a really close game!" Ash agreed.

"No, it wasn't." Gary grumbled. "We had the advantage!"

"But the game's not over till it's over." Ash pointed out. "What if it had been turned around?"

"And how would that have happened?"

The grade four students began making their way to their next class while debating on which team would have been the possible winner.

* * *

**One game of dodge ball: done! **

**Whew, I got to update sooner than I had last week, and the week before.**

**Please review, and thanks for reading!**

**Bye bye for now! And have a smiling day! :)**


	28. All In A Day's Work

**Hello! Sorry for my later-than-usual update, but to be honest, I actually didn't think I'd get to update this week at all! Good thing that isn't the case!**

**Today's topic was suggested by _Ready to Fly_!**

**Disclaimer: I do not own Pokemon in any way, shape or size!**

* * *

**All In A Day's Work**

**Grade One  
**

**May (6), Ash (6), Gary (6), Drew (6), Paul (6)**

"Okay, everyone, settle down." Mrs. Thomas caught all of her grade one students' attention. Everyone stopped chatting and faced their teacher.

"Now, as you all know, it was Job Day three days ago on Friday, and many of you went to work with a parent or other family member. I think it would be fun to start off the day with some of you sharing what you did there. So, who wants to go first?"

Many of the grade one students raised their hands, some waiting patiently to get called on, while others waved frantically to get the teacher's attention.

"Pick me, pick me!" Gary, along with a few others, yelled out.

"Hmm," Mrs. Thomas looked around. "I am going to choose someone who is being _quiet_ and waiting _patiently_. How about... Paul? I'm pretty sure your brother said something about taking you to his work."

Paul scowled, as he had not been raising his hand, and did not feel like sharing his experience. Mrs. Thomas just had a habit of picking people who weren't offering an answer. Probably to get everyone involved.

"My brother works at a grocery store. I had to sit in a chair, and it was very boring." Paul answered sourly.

"And what did your brother do?"

"He sold lots of stuff. He got lots of money too, but he didn't give me any."

"Well, he was the one doing the work, so it's natural that he's the one getting paid."

"But he got _lots_ of money! He kept putting it in a big box, all for himself." Paul spoke as if a great injustice had been made against him.

Mrs. Thomas tapped her chin as she thought. "You mean he put it in the cash register?"

"Y-yeah. That."

"Actually, Paul, all that money wasn't for him. Your brother is a cashier, so he just makes sure the customers pay for what they are buying and collects the money. All that money would belong to his employer, who would give your brother some money later to pay for all the work he did. He doesn't get to keep most of the money he made."

Paul cocked his head curiously. "But why? Why does he give all that money to someone else? _He's_ the one who made it."

"Because the things he's selling do not belong to him. His job is to sell them for someone else."

"Why would he do that?"

"Because then he gets paid for it."

"But if he just sold stuff for himself, he'd make much more money."

"But he does not have that many things to sell. He would have to first buy them from somewhere else, and them sell them."

"But-"

"Okay, it was nice of you to share all that, Paul!" Mrs. Thomas interrupted, wanting to get a move-on. "Next to speak will be... Drew. Thank you for waiting in such a well-behaved manner."

Drew proudly sat up straighter. "My dad was too busy to take me to work with him." he admitted. "But my butler told me what he does."

"Do you want to share it with the class?"

"Yes." Drew tried to recall what his butler had told him. "My dad owns a big company. He has to sit in a desk, and..." Drew's eyebrows furrowed as he tried to remember the rest. "And... he does a lot of serious stuff."

"Like?"

"Um... I can't really remember." Drew felt a bit embarrassed.

"That's alright, Drew. Why May! You're certainly being patient. Why don't you share your experience with the class?"

May looked a bit puzzled. "I don't have any... ex-prence." she said, not really knowing what the word actually meant.

"By _experience_, I mean what you learned when you went to work with one of your parents. Was there anything interesting that you want to share?"

"Yes. I got lots of exper-ence, then."

"Why don't you tell us about it?"

"Okay!"

_(Flashback)_

_"Here we are, May! The gym where I work." Norman, May's father told her. He was a gym leader, so May had been to his gym before, but this time, he was going to show her exactly what he did here. _

_"Are you going to battle someone today?" May asked excitedly._

_"Well, actually, today I'm not taking on any challengers."_

_"Why?"_

_"Because today, I'll be showing you the gym, so if I'm battling and you're cheering for me, the challenger might get distracted."_

_"I'll be quiet and good!" May promised, feeling a bit disappointed. _

_Norman shook his head. "Sorry, no can do. But I have some friends coming over, and they can help me show you how a gym battle goes!"_

_"When are they coming?"_

_"They should be here any..."_

_"Norman!" A loud pompous voice filled the air._

_May turned and saw two men coming in. One was familiar; he was her father's old friend Professor Birch. The other though, the one who had spoken, was a jolly-looking man with a white beard. May was reminded of Santa Claus, although this man's beard was much shorter, and he looked a bit smaller than how May imagined Santa to be._

_"Wattson! Professor Birch! Glad you two could make it!" Norman greeted. "May, you know Professor Birch. And this is Wattson, another gym leader."_

_"Hello!" May greeted. But she couldn't keep her eyes off Wattson's beard. Like many others before her, she was tempted to give it a tug to see whether it was real or not. She resisted, though, since she knew neither he nor her father would appreciate it. Also, she couldn't reach all the way up there. _

_"We are going to demonstrate how a gym battle plays out, okay May? I am going to be the gym leader, Wattson will be the challenger, and Birch will be the referee. You watch closely. One day, you might just end up on the battle field!" Norman said to his daughter._

_Soon, they were all set. Norman was standing on one end, facing off against Wattson, and Birch was standing where the referee did while May was sitting in the sidelines. _

_"The battle between Norman the gym leader and Wattson the challenger will now begin!" Birch announced. "Each sid__e will use one Pokemon each, and the battle will be over when either side is unable to continue. Now battle... begin!"_

_"Vigoroth, go!" Norman sent out his choice._

_"Go Magneton!" Wattson's Pokemon appeared on the field. _

_And thus the battle began. Both sides battled for a long time, neither giving in. And naturally, May forgot all about her promise to stay quiet._

_"Watch out Daddy!" she shrieked when Vigoroth nearly got hit with a Thunderbolt. Fortunately, both gym leaders were very experienced and knew how to handle these sorts of distractions._

_Finally, the battle ended. _

_"Magneton is unable to battle." Birch announced. "That means Vigoroth is the winner, and the match goes to Norman, the gym leader!"_

_"Yay!" May cheered, running up to her father. Her daddy was the strongest trainer in the whole world!_

_"Well, Norman, I must say, that was a good battle!" Wattson declared as he held out his hand for him to shake._

_"Yes it was. Thank you so much for agreeing to come here."_

_As the two shook hands, Norman's eyes widened a bit as his hand vibrated._

_Wattson gave a hearty laugh as he let go. In his hand was a small button, which from the looks of it had given Norman a small shock._

_"Got you!"_

_Norman chuckled in return. "Yes, you got me!"_

_"Well, I need to head back to my own gym now. See you another time, Norman!" With that, Wattson left. May waved after him, but he didn't notice. _

_"That Wattson! What prankster!" Birch said, walking up to his friend._

_"You're right there!" Norman agreed. "You staying for dinner?"_

_"Thanks! Your wife is the best cook around! Let's go then."_

_"Just a minute." Norman turned to his daughter. "Well, May, that is how a gym battle looks like. For my gym, we usually use three Pokemon each, with no substitutions allowed for me. So, that's that!"_

_"Okay!" May nodded her head to show that she understood. Then, they all went to see what May's mother, Caroline, had prepared for dinner. ._

_(Flashback ended)_

"And then, we ate rice for dinner, and vegetables too." May concluded.

"You sure had a great day!" Mrs. Thomas commented. "Let's see. Who else has a story for us? Now you've been very patient, Ash. Why don't you go next?"

Ash quickly and eagerly said yes. Gary looked a bit annoyed that _he_ didn't get picked.

_(Flashback)_

_Ash's mother, Delia, led her son through the kitchen doors. Delia ran a restaurant called Pallet House, and today, she was going to show Ash around, and show him what she did in the kitchen._

_"And here is the stove." she said, pointed it out to Ash._

_"Wow! It's bigger than the one we have at home!" Ash exclaimed._

_"Of course, dear, I have to cook a lot more here than at home. Actually, maybe not…" She remembered how big of an appetite her son had._

_"Delia!" One of the waitresses burst through the kitchen doors. "We have a very important customer today! He's a trainer, and he says he might give a pretty big tip if he's satisfied. He wants us to make him one of our top noodle dishes!"_

_"Really? And today of all days?" It was __pretty rare that rich trainers stopped by at Pallet House. They preferred the higher-rating restaurants, not that Pallet House was low-rating or anything._

_"Ash, honey," Delia turned to her son. "I'm sorry, but we'll have to continue your tour later. I have to work now."_

_"Oh." Ash looked a bit disappointed for a second. But then his eyes brightened up. "I can help!"_

_"Sure, sweetie! Just do as I say, and we can get the trainer's meal cooked in no time!" Delia was surprised she hadn't thought of this first. Maybe Ash's day wouldn't have to be ruined after all._

_Soon, she was set at the stove with an eager Ash wearing an over-sized apron standing beside her._

_"Please pass the salt shaker, Chef Ash." Delia instructed._

_"On it!" Ash stood on a stool so he could see everything that was on the counter. He scanned all the objects, his eyes finally landing on the shaker. He reached out for it, but accidentally knocked over an open bottle of chilli sauce._

_"Oops!" Abandoning the salt shaker, Ash quickly got paper towels to clean up the chilli sauce that had ended up on the counter. "Sorry Mom."_

_"It's okay, Ash." Sighing, Delia got the salt herself. A little spilt sauce was okay. It was only an accident after all. At least he hadn't spilt something bigger, like..._

_Suddenly, there was a thud behind her. She whipped her head around to catch sight of a guilty-looking Ash, with flour all over him. He wasn't the only thing currently covered in white powder. The floor was as well._

_"Whoops…" Ash murmured guiltily._

_"Ash, what happened?" Delia asked, a bit exasperatedly._

_"I thought we could make a cake." Ash answered. "But the bag of flour was too heavy."_

_Delia ran a hand through her hair and smiled tiredly. She now remembered why she hadn't thought of letting Ash help her first. The kid was too accident-prone!_

_"Ash, sweetie, thank you so much for trying to help me, but I think I can handle this on my own. Why don't you sit on that chair over there, and I'll get to you as soon as I'm done cooking. Okay?"_

_"Okay…" Ash said glumly as he trudged to his newly assigned position. The look on his face made Delia want to take back her words, but she knew she needed to work. She'll just have to make up for it later._

_After a while, of working, Delia came across a small __problem. Her eyebrows furrowed as she searched for something on the counter, moving aside bottles of sauce and empty packages. As she didn't locate what she wasn't looking for, se became even more stressed._

_"What's wrong, Mom?" Ash asked curiously._

_"There is a small red jar of a certain spice that I need to add, but I can't find it." Delia answered distractedly. "I know I put it here. Maybe my mind is playing tricks on me, and I left it back there…" She went to a different location in the kitchen._

_"Why don't you use something else?" Ash questioned._

_"I can't. That spice is one of the main ingredients!" She went to a cupboard and began looking through it._

_Ash watched his mother worriedly. He always felt anxious whenever he could sense his mother was stressed. Bu it wasn't like he could do anything about it._

_Suddenly, a flash of red caught his eye. It came from the counter beside the stove where his mother was working. The red jar! It had somehow gotten pushed to the very back, and a bit behind the large pot in which the noodles were currently boiling._

_"Mom, it's over there!" Ash pointed to the jar._

_Delia quickly hurried to where he was pointing. "Where?"_

_"Over there!"_

_Delia frowned. "I don't see it." She couldn't from the angle she was looking._

_Ash got up from his chair and walked over to the stool where he was standing before. He stood on it, and went onto his tippy-toes, reaching as far as he could. Finally, the red jar came into his grasp, but as he brought his hand back, it touched the boiling pot on the stove, leaving a tiny burn._

_"Ow!" _

_"Oh dear!" Delia immediately brought her son over to the sink, where she washed his burn with cold water. She smiled warmly at him. _

_"It was a very good thing you spotted the jar." she said. "Maybe I should call you Super Ash instead of Chef Ash!"_

_Ash felt proud of his heroic deed._

_(Flashback ended)_

"And then, my mom put a band-aid on my hand." Ash showed-off his band-aid to the class. "And she made me an extra-special dinner!"

"Wow! What a busy day!" Mrs. Thomas said. She turned to Gary, who had realized he'd have to wait a lot more quietly to get picked. "Gary! You want a turn?"

"Yes! I went to my grandpa's lab." Gary began, before quickly adding, "He's Professor Oak, and he's famous!"

"Is he now?" Mrs. thomas said, even though she already knew.

"Yeah!" Gary confirmed. "I _always_ go to his lab, so I already knew everything."

"Did anything interesting happen?"

"Yes! There was an Eevee, but it was very scared of everyone. But _I_ became its friend. Not even Grandpa could do that!"

"Wow! Impressive!"

"I know! And then, when I went outside, a Raticate tried to attack me. But then, I battled with Eevee, and won!"

"You won a battle? All by yourself!"

"Yes! My grandpa helped a teeny-tiny bit, but I did most of it."

"I see."

"He said that I might become an even better trainer than he used to be. Maybe even the Pokemon Master!"

"I certainly think so too."

"I want to be Pokemon Master too." Ash put in.

"You won't be able to." Gary said. "Because _I'm_ gonna be the master!"

"I don't see why both of you can't be." Mrs. Thomas said, trying to stop any would-be arguments.

"But there can't be two masters! There is only one!" Gary protested.

"How about we discuss this later?" Mrs. Thomas said quickly, having no intention to. "Right now, I think Kelly has something she wants to share with us." She picked a girl with a pink bow in her short, purple hair to go next.

After Kelly told everyone all about making Pokeblock with her mother, Mrs. Thomas picked another, and then another student until everyone had a turn. It seemed like everyone had a day full of experience!

* * *

**Done! I'll try to update sooner next week, but this week is going to be busy, so no promises. **

**Please review, and thanks for reading! **

**Bye bye for now! And have a smiling day! :)**


	29. Playmate-Switch

**Hello everyone! I didn't manage to post this earlier, so sorry for that. On with the chapter!**

**Today's topic was suggested by a guest reviewer!**

**Disclaimer: I do not own Pokemon in any way, shape or size!**

* * *

**Playmate-Switch**

**Grade Two  
**

**May (7), Leaf (7), Misty (7), Gary (7), Drew (7), Ash (7)**

It was the weekend, and May, along with Drew, Ash, Misty, Gary, and Leaf, was at the park near Pallet Street, where Ash, Misty, Leaf, and Gary lived. The only one of her friends who was not there was Paul, but that was okay, because she had plenty of other friends to spend time with. Even if _they_ weren't here, she would still probably manage to find enough playmates, since there were more kids than usual at the playground.

"Let's all have a race!" Ash challenged while they were deciding on what to do.

"Nah." Gary declined. "Drew's not that fast, so it would be just me versus you. And that won't be fun, cuz I'm probably faster."

"What about us?" Misty demanded, gesturing to Leaf, May, and herself. "We'll be racing too!"

"Well _you're_ girls." Gary replied, as if it explained everything.

"So? Why aren't we allowed to race?" May questioned, frowning a bit.

"Yeah, why?" Leaf put her hands on her hips.

"'Cuz you'll lose. Boys are faster than girls." Gary rolled his eyes, acting as if it were obvious.

"Hey, what makes you so sure?" Misty said boldly. "I can run faster than you, no problem!"

"So can I!" Leaf chimed in.

"Ha, as if! I bet even _Drew_ can run faster than you!"

"Why don't we just play something else?" Drew suggested. He'd rather have fun instead of arguing. And he felt a bit annoyed that Gary kept pointing out how slow he was, despite it being true.

"Yeah." Ash agreed. "We can play hide-and-seek, or tag, or..."

"No!" Misty interrupted stubbornly. "I want to show Gary that I _am_ faster than him!"

"But Misty, you're not." Ash tried to reason, earning a glare from her.

"What?! What's that supposed to mean?!" she yelled.

"Well, remember when we were both racing yesterday?" Ash reminded her. "I was faster, and Gary's as fast as me, so..."

"I don't think you remember that I didn't win because I fell because my shoelace was untied!"

"But still..."

"I'm not going to race you _girls_." Gary said, in a final sort of way. "It'll be too boring. We should just do something that you _can_ handle."

May folded her arms. Gary was starting to really bug her!

"You know what?" Leaf began walking away. "I don't want to play with you anymore. You probably won't think we can do anything!"

"Yeah!" May nodded her head and started following Leaf. "Let's go, Misty and Drew and Ash!"

"Not Ash!_ He_ doesn't think we can do anything either!" Misty said, still annoyed at Ash's claims.

"Aw, c'mon, Misty!"

"But he _is_ right." Drew tried to say. "Girls _are_ slower than boys. They just are." At least, that's what everyone said.

"Fine, you can't play with us either!" May yelled, feeling betrayed.

"But I didn't mean... let's just all play something together." Drew tried to say, hoping they'd agree.

Unfortunately, the girls had their minds made up, and they left to another part of the playground. Gary, Ash and Drew stared after them.

"They can go play alone if they want to." Gary said finally. "We'll have just as much fun!"

"But it's a lot more fun when we all play together..." Ash mumbled.

They just stood silently for a moment before Drew spoke up.

"So, what do you want to play?" Drew asked, rubbing the back of his head. He wasn't feeling very happy about the fact that three of his friends were angry at him, but he also didn't want to stand around doing nothing.

"Yeah, let's play something!" Gary said quickly, trying to sound enthusiastic. "Let's... let's race! he blurted out the first thing that came to his mind.

"I don't feel like racing anymore." Ash muttered.

"Hey, don't worry about the girls!" Gary tried to reassure Drew and Ash, as there was no way they'd manage to have any fun if two of them were feeling down. "They'll come back as soon as they realize how bored they are without us!"

"I think _we're_ the bored ones." Ash said glumly.

"Yeah." Drew concurred. He pointed to something in the direction where the girls had gone. "Look, they even found new friends now."

Gary and Ash looked, and sure enough, May, Misty and Leaf had joined a few boys their age in making sandcastles in the playground sand.

"They-they can't do that!" Gary sputtered. "They can't just... go find someone else to play with!"

"Why?" Ash asked curiously.

"They're replacing us!" Gary furiously stomped his foot in the sand. "We're supposed to be friends! They can't just replace us like this!"

"Maybe we really hurt their feelings." Ash figured worriedly. "What if they never want to play with us anymore? We should go say sorry."

"No!" Gary refused stubbornly. "They should be saying sorry to _us_! _They're_ the ones who said they didn't want to play with us anymore!"

Drew frowned as he watched the group consisting of the girls and the three other boys laugh at something. There was a strange feeling inside of him, and while he wasn't sure what it was, he knew one thing: he didn't like it. He didn't like being replaced just like that, especially when he hadn't done anything to deserve it. At least in his opinion.

"We should stop them." he declared, knowing he'd feel a lot better if they did.

"Yes, we should." Gary folded his arms. Suddenly an idea popped into his head. He turned to the other two, smirking mysteriously, with a mischievous twinkle in his eyes. "And I know how."

* * *

"Can you pass me the pail, Virgil?" May asked.

"Here!" The boy named Virgil happily complied, handing her a yellow one. May filled in with sand, and turned it upside-down, creating her third castle. She admired her work before adding a stick to the top as a flag.

"Look at my castle!"

"Wow May, it looks great! And look at mine!" Misty presented her's to everyone. It was decorated with small stones.

"Yours is the best!" one of the other boys proclaimed.

"Thanks, Rudy!" Misty thanked him, smiling proudly.

"Wait, mine's even better!" Leaf finished up her castle. "Ta-da!"

"One more thing..." The third boy stuck a large leaf on the top. "There! Now it's perfect!"

"You're right, Bill, it looks much better that way!" Leaf looked over the now-complete creation.

"Let's make another one!" May exclaimed. "If we all make one big one together, it'll be the best of all!"

The six of them got to work on May's idea. It looked like May was right! They were almost done, and it seemed that what they were going to end with was nothing less than a masterpiece!

"Woohooo!" Their hard work was demolished within seconds when someone purposely ran right through the sandcastle, completely flattening it, and causing the surrounding group to get covered in sand.

"GARK OAK!" a fuming Leaf shrieked, standing up, facing the direction where her spiky-haired friend was running.

"Our castle!" May cried, trying to pile the remains back up again. But it was in vain, because in less than a minute, a certain green-haired boy decided to follow Gary's example.

"Drew, stop it! I got sand in my hair!" May whined.

"Run, Drew!" Gary called out to his friend as he looked back over his shoulder. Drew would have continued running anyways, since Leaf had begun chasing after the two.

"Wait, guys! You shouldn't do that!" Ash yelled out, running after them, using the same path his two friends had. But instead of being successful in his pursuit, he tripped over the lump that used to be a castle, sending sand flying everywhere.

"Ash!" Misty, who was now mostly covered in the sand, shouted in fury.

"Uh oh." Summoning up as much speed as he could, Ash got up and sped off, a raging orange-head hot on his trail.

"Who're they?" Virgil asked the only remaining girl, May.

"Gary, Drew and Ash." May responded, still miserable about her destroyed creations.

"They're running as fast as Rapidash!" Bill remarked.

Rudy looked thoughtful. "Misty and Leaf need help!" he said, standing up. "I'll catch those mean bullies for you!"

May was a bit puzzled. Gary, Drew and Ash weren't mean like _bullies_. But then again, they _were_ being a bit mean right now.

"Come on, Bill, Virgil," Rudy ordered. "Let's go help out our new friends!"

Before May could say anything, the three had sprinted off, ready to assist the two girls in their mission to teach their friends a lesson. May watched them for a minute, before darting after them, yelling, "Wait!"

Misty, being the fastest runner of all, managed to catch up to Ash, knocking him down, and standing over him.

"Okay, Ash Ketchum!" she snarled. "You are going to pay for that! You made me get sand in my _mouth_!"

Before she could carry on with her threat, Ash struggled up, accidentally kicking up more sand in the process, and tried to make his escape. Only to be tackled down by Rudy.

"I got him!" Rudy announced.

"Get off me!" Ash and Rudy struggled, rolling, trying to best the other, before Rudy, being older, finally came out on top... literally. With some great effort, he had Ash pinned to the ground.

"I got him, Misty!" he said proudly.

"Well, get off of him, then!" Misty ordered, bewildered at the fact that Rudy had unexpectedly tackled down her friend. "And let go of him!"

"Hm?" Rudy was confused. "Okay..."

Once Ash stood up, he grumbled and emptied his hat of sand that had entered it. Misty walked up to him and gave him a small whack on his head.

"Ow!"

"That's for getting me covered in sand!"

"Um..." Rudy rubbed the back of his head, wondering what was going on.

"Rudy, you shouldn't hurt my friends." Misty said, turning to him. "I don't like it when you're being mean like that."

"Huh? But..." Rudy was officially confused. Friends? Wasn't Misty furious at this boy just a few seconds ago?

Meanwhile, Leaf, Virgil, and Bill were gaining ground on Gary and Drew. And then there was May, trying to catch up to all of them to explain that Gary and Drew weren't bullies, and instead some friends that were being annoying at the moment.

"Gotcha!" Leaf succeeded in grabbing a fistful of Drew's shirt, causing him to come crashing down. But as Drew wasn't her initial target, the only punishment she gave him was an angry scowl, before she set off after Gary. Bill and Virgil slowed to a stop beside the green-haired boy.

"That wasn't very nice, what you did!" Virgil scolded, folding his arms. "You need to apologize for ruining our castle."

"Okay." Drew coolly got up, dusting himself off. "Sorry."

"And you have to stop being mean to Leaf, Misty and May." Bill added. "They were very upset."

Drew blinked. Were they really _that_ upset? It was just a joke...

May finally caught up to them, huffing. "Bill, Virgil." she said through gasps.

"Don't worry, May." Virgil reassured her. "He's not gonna be mean anymore."

"Sorry, May." Drew apologized calmly, as Virgil had told him to.

May stared at him for a bit before responding. "Umm... it's okay."

She couldn't really remember what she was going to say before, but it didn't matter. It felt nice to be apologized to. Whether Drew was apologizing for disrupting their play or for saying girls are slow was unclear, but May felt her grudge seep away.

"Leaf, just give up already!" Gary could be heard shouting. "You can't catch me; you're too slow!"

But Leaf wouldn't hear any of it. Her determined green eyes pierced into the back of her run-away friend's spiky hair, and his words just fueled her will to show him how fast she could go. With a sudden spurt of speed, she made it right beside him, but she didn't stop there. She kept going, until she was well past him. She finally halted, turning to face Gary.

"Ha!" she punched the air victoriously. "Who's the slow one now?"

Gary scowled, not liking his loss. "We weren't racing, so it doesn't count."

"You just don't like it that I beat you." Leaf accused.

Misty, Ash, May, Drew, as well as Rudy, Bill, and Virgil, came running up to the two.

"Did you get him?" Misty asked.

"I beat him in a race." Leaf boasted. "I was faster than him."

"We weren't racing!" Gary tried to clear up.

"You beat Gary? Ha!" Misty turned to him. "See? Girls can be faster than boys!"

"She didn't beat me!"

"Now that we saw how girls are just as fast as boys, maybe we can all play something together." Ash suggested.

"Yeah. It'll be a lot more fun." Drew chimed in.

"Okay!" May agreed happily.

A smiling May, a triumphant Misty, and a proud Leaf headed off to play with Drew, Ash and Gary, leaving three very confused boys, Rudy, Bill and Virgil, behind them. The three boys that were now standing alone, watching the group walk away, looked at one another confusedly. Weren't the girls just playing with them? How did they suddenly instantly forget about them? All three had the same line running through their heads.

"What just happened?"

* * *

**Whew! Posted late, but still posted! At least I managed to get you guys this week's chapter!**

**Please review, and thanks for reading!**

**Bye bye for now! And have a smiling day! :)**


	30. Halloween

**Hello everyone! Just want to say that I am super-sorry for not posting for about a week. I was really busy, and when I did have time to write, I was faced with the dreaded writer's-block. The horror! But now that that's gone (at least for now), I managed to write this chapter.  
**

**I received multiple reviews asking for a Halloween chapter. Since there were more than one, I'll just say credit to those who suggested it! Normally, I do the suggestions I receive in order, but since Halloween's just passed (although it's been a while), I'll make an exception. So here it is!**

**Disclaimer: I do not own Pokemon in any way, shape or size!**

* * *

**Halloween**

**Grade Three  
**

**May (8), Ash (8), Gary (8), Leaf (8), Paul (8), Drew (8), Dawn (8), Misty (8)  
**

Ash, Misty, Gary and Leaf were standing in a group in front of Leaf's house, waiting for their other four friends to arrive. It was Halloween, and the eight of them had decided to go trick-or-treating together. Since Ash, Misty, Gary and Leaf all lived on Pallet Street, and were within walking distance from one another, they had already grouped up.

"I wish they would hurry up." Gary said impatiently. "I want to go trick-or-treating already!"

"Come on, Gary, it won't take much longer!" Leaf assured him. "We did agree to meet up at 6:30, and it's still 6:28. May, Drew and Paul will be here soon."

"And Dawn." Ash put in quickly. "Don't forget Dawn!"

"Oh yeah, Dawn too!" Dawn was the new girl at school, but since Leaf didn't go to the same school as her friends, she had only met her a couple of times.

"Don't you mean just May, Drew and Dawn?" an irritated voice spoke up from behind them. The four whirled around to see that Paul was already there.

"Hey, where did you come from?" Ash asked. "I thought you were coming with your brother."

"He's over there." Paul pointed to a house where his teenage brother was already ringing the doorbell.

"Isn't he a bit old for this?" Misty asked. "My sisters said _they're_ too old."

"So did mine." Gary chimed in.

Paul just shrugged in response.

"I'm here!" May announced, as she ran up to the group. She was dressed up as a zombie, with face paint to make her face a greenish colour, gloves that made her hands look shriveled, and tattered-looking clothes.

"Finally!" Gary sighed in relief. "Just two more to go!"

"Actually, just one more." Drew showed up, wearing a vampire costume, with a cape, fancy black boots, fake fangs on his teeth, and face paint to make his face paler with shadows under his eyes.

"Where is Dawn?" Gary grumbled.

"You know, Gary, you're not the only one who has to wait. Stop grumbling." Misty ordered.

"It's not _my_ fault she's taking so long! I bet she's going to be a pretty princess or something and is taking her time getting dressed." Gary snarled.

"That _is_ likely..." Misty mused. Dawn always seemed like a girly-girl to her.

"Do you really wanna bet?" May said suddenly, with a mischievous look in her eye.

"Yeah, of course! I'll give you half of my candy if I'm right! _When_ I'm right, I mean."

"It's a deal!" May and Gary shook hands on it.

"What's a deal?" Dawn's voice sounded.

Everyone turned around to face their blue-haired friend.

"Better get ready to give half your candy to May." Leaf muttered in Gary's ear, grinning. He scowled.

Dawn was not dressed up as a princess, but instead as a witch. She was wearing all black, with a large, pointed witch hat, her costume going well with her navy blue hair. Following at her feet was her mother's Umbreon, which was meant to be the dark type Pokemon witches usually had with them. And there was also the fact that her mother wanted Umbreon to keep an eye on her daughter.

"Wow, I love all your costumes!" Dawn squealed. "Drew, you look like a real vampire! May, you look terrifying! Misty, that's an awesome pirate costume!"

"Thanks!" Misty said. "My sisters were trying to force me to dress up as a mermaid princess, but I wouldn't let them." she added, rolling her eyes. She had a fake Chatot perched on her shoulder, an eye-patch, boots, a pirate hat, and was holding a hook. A blue pirate-like jacket both finished her look, and protected her from the chilly night air.

"Wow, Leaf! I thought you were a real super-villain!"

"Thanks, Dawn! You're looking really cool as well!" Leaf complimented. She was dressed up in a purple, green and black outfit with a black mask over her eyes.

"I'm a ghost!" Ash showed off his costume eagerly. He had a bed sheet with two holes for eyes covering him.

"No, really?" Paul said sarcastically.

"Yeah!" Ash confirmed, oblivious to the sarcasm. "My mom said I should ask her before cutting holes in a bed sheet, though. But it was the best costume idea ever!"

"Sure, Ash, sure." Paul said, looking as if he were questioning why he was friends with the black-haired boy.

"I'm a gangster!" Gary announced, grinning, feeling like a genius. He was wearing baggy clothes with a baggy hoodie over-top, and a backwards baseball cap on his head.

"What are you, Paul?" Dawn asked.

"A were-Mightyena." Paul was wearing fake fangs on his teeth, and pointed, wolf-like ears over his ears. There were three scratched on his cheek, made with face paint.

"You don't look much like a were-Mightyena." Dawn remarked, frowning slightly.

"That's cuz I haven't transformed yet." He pointed to the sky. "The sun's not completely down, and the moon's not up."

"Oh..."

"Okay! Let's go get some candy!" Gary punched the air enthusiastically.

They group of eight went from door to door, collecting candy in the bags they were carrying. Ash frequently tripped over the bedsheets, and began thinking that maybe it wasn't the best costume idea after all. But, of course, the increasing amount of candy in his bag kept him in high spirits.

Paul kept glancing up at the sky as if expecting to catch sight of the moon and transform any minute.

May got tired of walking with her arms out in front of her like a zombie, and gave up her zombie act, focusing now on making sure her candy collection kept growing. She gave a reminder to Gary every now and then that she would be taking half the candy he got, which motivated him to try to get the maximum amount of treats possible.

Misty made sure to pull out a cardboard sword from her belt before yelling out trick or treat, adding to the pirate effect.

Drew received multiple compliments on his realistic costume. He _did_ have it professionally made, so it wasn't really a surprise. But after someone at nearly every house had some kind of praise for him, he was starting to get a bit tired of it.

As it got darker, it turned out that the green and purple on Leaf's costume were glowed in the dark, making her costume stand out even more.

It also seemed Umbreon began sticking even closer to Dawn, making her stumble and nearly fall a few times since it was right by her feet.

Finally, with their bags filled with candy, the group paused for a minute.

"Whew, we got quite a lot this year!" Ash commented, looking like he wanted nothing more than to dig into his treats.

"Yeah." Misty agreed. "Should we head back then?"

"Let's do a few more houses." Gary suggested. He evidently wanted even more treats so he would have plenty left over after having to give up half of his to his friend.

"Wait, what about that house?" Drew pointed to one at the end of the road. "We haven't gone to that one yet."

Ash's eyes widened. "No way! We are _not_ going there!"

"Why?"

"Because it's haunted." Leaf answered spookily. "There are always weird things happening there."

"W-what kind of weird things?" May asked timidly.

"Lots of things!" Gary chimed in. "Like, sometimes, there are things floating around outside."

"But look!" Dawn pointed. "It's all decorated for Halloween, and the lights are open. Someone must live there, and they want kids to come over for trick-or-treating."

"But no one knows _who_ lives there! It's probably a ghost who wants kids to come over so it can take them to the spirit world!" Gary stated his theory. The others just stared at him.

"W-w-we can skip that house if you _really_ want." May said nervously. "Maybe there are other houses around here that we haven't been too..."

"What do you mean if _I_ want to!" Gary said indignantly, misunderstanding her statement. "_You're_ the one who's scared!"

"I'm not scared!" May protested, thinking she was being called a scaredy-Meowth.

"Then let's go to that house!" Gary challenged. "We'll see who's the scared one!"

"Wait, Gary!" Ash said, panicking. "We can't all go there! What if the ghost gets us?"

Gary's boldness wavered for less than a second, though no one noticed. "Nobody said anything about you coming along." he pointed out, shrugging.

"I'll come." Drew said, putting on his brave-face. "I don't believe in ghosts. Well, there are ghost-type Pokemon, but not real ghosts."

"I'll come too, then." Misty said. After all, she couldn't be the only one too scared of going to that house.

"Me too!" Leaf didn't want to be left out.

"Um, guys?" Everyone turned to Dawn. "Where's Paul?"

Everyone glanced around, and it was true. One of their friends was missing.

"He chickened-out!" Gary declared.

"But if Paul's scared, shouldn't we be too?" Ash pointed out nervously.

"Nah! He's probably just afraid of the dark or something. Come on, let's go!"

The seven arrived at the 'haunted' house, and cautiously went up to the porch.

The house was decorated even more than the surrounding houses. There were webs and fake Ariados and Spinarak everywhere. Jack-o-lanterns were glowing, grinning creepily, and ghosts hung from tree branches. An angry-looking fake Houndoom stood at the doorsteps, its eyes glowing red.

"Well? Isn't someone gonna ring it?" Misty asked, gesturing to the doorbell. They just stood there silently.

"Come on, Misty, you're the bravest from all of us. Why don't you do it?" Ash pushed his friend to the front.

"W-what? No!" Misty shivered. "Um, Leaf said she would."

"Huh? When did I say that?"

"Oh, come on! Someone just do it!" Gary yelled frustratedly. His yelling must have caught the attention of whoever was inside, because they started to hear movement from within the house.

"I-it's probably nothing!" Drew tried to assure everyone unconvincingly. "It's probably just the person living there, or..."

"RUN!" Ash screamed when a shadow appeared at the window. The seven didn't think twice as they turned around, pushing and shoving, sprinting off the porch. Umbreon was having a difficult time staying at Dawn's feet.

But before they could get away, a monster-like figure stepped into their path. It had large claws, large yellow eyes, huge fangs, and a frightening appearance overall. It let out a howl to the moon, causing the friends to scream even more, scrambling left and right, only stopping when they heard a peculiar sound. The monster was... _laughing_?

"Wait a minute..." Leaf looked back at it. "_Paul_?"

Paul ripped off his were-Mightyena mask. "The looks on your faces! Priceless!"

"That wasn't very nice!" Dawn scowled. "Scaring us like that!"

"It's dark and the moon's out. I transformed." Paul explained as if it were the most obvious thing in the world. "Besides, you guys were already screaming and running."

"We were running from the ghost!" Ash said in a panicky voice. "It was coming to get us!"

"What, you mean her?" Paul pointed to something behind them. They all turned around to see the house's door was open, and there was an elderly woman standing in the doorway. There were two large bowls of candy floating at either side. Suddenly, two Haunter appeared. From the looks of it, they were the ones holding the bowls while being invisible.

"Candy, anyone?" the woman offered kindly.

* * *

"So there wasn't any ghost after all." Misty said as she sorted through her candy pile.

They were all gathered at Leaf's house, sorting and trading their candy.

"Doesn't look like it." Leaf confirmed. "And the things that floated around her house were due to her two Haunter."

"Yeah. I can't believe we actually thought there was a ghost!" Drew chuckled.

"_You_ guys did. _I_ didn't." Paul put in.

"Isn't your brother going to come over and pick you up?" Ash asked his purple-haired friend.

"What, wanna get rid of me?"

"No no! I was just curious, ya know, cuz he's not here yet, and we're done trick-or-treating."

"Ash, he's a teenager. He's probably going to be collecting candy till midnight."

"But isn't there school tomorrow?"

"Like I said, he's a teenager. He doesn't care."

"Oooo, can I have that chocolate?" Leaf picked out a chocolate bar from Paul's candy pile. While he didn't like things that he found were too sweet, there were some treats that he didn't mind. But his friends always helped themselves to whatever he neglected.

"Go ahead." He had already separated the candy he wanted from the candy he didn't. Unwrapping an orange-flavoured lollipop, he stuck it into his mouth. He pulled it out immediately.

"This doesn't taste like orange!" He glared at the candy furiously. "You ought to be ashamed of yourself." he scolded it.

"Poor lollipop..." Ash muttered. "_I_ wouldn't have yelled at it."

"Gary!" May said sweetly. "I believe you have some candy for me!" Gary scowled.

"Why?" Dawn asked, puzzled.

"He bet half his candy that you would dress up as a princess." May explained. "I bet you wouldn't."

"Well, I did tell you I was going to be a witch yesterday." Dawn said.

"Wait, that means May already knew!" Gary realized. "She only bet because she knew what you were gonna be! That's not fair!"

"Candy, please!" May held out her hands, grinning.

* * *

The next morning, at school, Ash and May were evidently suffering from stomach-aches.

"Let me guess," Misty said. "You guys ate all your candy at once."

"It wasn't such a good idea." Ash admitted, hands over his tummy.

"I shared a bit with my brother, since I had extra from Gary." May defended. "I didn't eat _all_ of it by myself! Just most of it..."

"Too bad." Dawn frowned. "I brought some of my candy from last night to share with everyone, because my mom said it's not good to eat it all myself. I guess you guys are feeling to sick to have some."

May and Ash groaned.

* * *

**There you guys have it! One Halloween night!**

**I'll try to make up for not updating sooner, but I'm still busy with non-fanfiction-related stuff too. Please understand if I update late or miss an update. Look at the bright side! Since each chapter is a one-shot, it's not like I'm leaving you guys with cliffhangers, right?**

**Please review, and thanks for reading!**

**Bye bye for now! And have a smiling day! :)**


	31. The Top Trainers

**Hello, everyone! I'm here with the next chapter, late as it may be.**

**Wow, it's been a while since I posted! Looks like I missed a week. I was really busy, though, and I thought I might not get to update this week either. I wish i could say my updating would be better in December, but that's unlikely, as I have exams in December. So yeah... But I'll still try!**

**Today's topic was suggested by _QUEENSPELLER67_.**

**Disclaimer: I do not own Pokemon in any way, shape or size!**

* * *

**The Top Trainers**

**Grade Four  
**

**May (10), Drew (10), Ash (10), Gary (10), Misty (10), Paul (10), Leaf (10), Dawn (9)  
**

Summer was close by and school was nearly over. But it seemed the teachers wanted to take advantage of the few school days remaining and cram some more information into the heads of their students to prepare them for next year.

"As you all know, the school year is nearly over, and after the summer break, you all will all begin grade five." Mr. Robertson announced to his grade four class. "In grade five, you will all be starting a new subject called Pokemon Studies, which focus on the basics with Pokemon."

This was met with a sudden wave of chatter as the students began excitedly cheering for their future class.

"Finally!" Ash said, turning to his friends, who were sitting in desks around him. "I've been waiting so long for this! Then we can bring our Pokemon to school and battle and-"

Mr. Robertson clapped loudly to gain everyone's attention. "Settle down, settle down! Now, from what I can see, many of you have made incorrect assumptions about this class. It is not a battling or coordinating class. Those start in later grades."

The class groaned and began complaining and whining.

"What?!" Ash frowned. "Then what is Pokemon Studies?"

"You don't battle in Pokemon Studies." Gary explained to his friend, smirking. "You just study Pokemon stuff."

"_Settle down._" The teacher managed to catch everyone's attention. "So, you all may be asking what Pokemon Studies is, then. What this class teaches is the basics that people should know about Pokemon. We all live alongside them in our world, so we need to know how to interact with them.

Now, don't think you can get away without putting any effort in this class because you think you already know all about Pokemon. You will also be learning the basics that every trainer needs to know, so it's like a first step to becoming a trainer for those who want to be one. Many of you have already turned ten and received your starter, so it is important that you know how to treat it, whether while training or in everyday life.

"Now I thought it would be fun to discuss a topic that all of you would be looking into even more in grade five. And I'm sure many of you will be interested in it. Pokemon trainers!"

Mr. Robertson looked around, hoping to see enthusiastic faces. He didn't see any.

"What about them?" someone called out. "They train and battle. That's it."

"That's not all!" someone else yelled out. "They can get really strong and become champions!"

"Champions are so cool!"

"No, gym leaders are even better!"

"As if! Champions are _much_ stronger than gym leaders!"

"Not as strong as Pokemon Masters!"

"Class! Class!" Mr. Robertson desperately tried to gain control. Once everyone quieted down, he sighed, running his hand through his hair. "Let's all discuss this in a _civilized_ manner. _Please_."

He walked to the front board where he wrote 'trainers', 'gym leaders', 'frontier brains', 'elite four', and 'champion'. He turned to face the class. "Can anyone tell me the differences among these types of trainers?"

Gary raised his hand. "A trainer can be anyone who has a Pokemon and trains it. Even coordinators are trainers." he said without waiting to be called on.

Mr. Robertson nodded. "Yes. A trainer can be anyone who trains a Pokemon. Even champions are trainers. Terms like 'champion' or 'gym leader' describe certain levels and kinds of trainers. A champion is a very powerful, accomplished trainer, while a gym leader is a trainer who tests the strength of another trainer."

"Oh! Oh!" May waved her hand in the air. "My daddy's a gym leader!"

"Yes, your father is Norman, isn't he? He's a normal type gym leader, so he would test how well a trainer does against normal-types."

"My oldest sister Daisy became a gym leader a short while ago." Misty said. "A water type gym leader. But I don't think she's really interested in battling. I think she just wants to use the gym to hold water shows or something."

"Oh." Mr. Robertson raised an eyebrow. "But then... why would she become a gym leader in the first place?"

Misty opened her mouth to answer, but was interrupted when someone yelled out, "What's a frontier brain, then?"

"A frontier brain is another kind of trainer." Mr. Robertson said, forgetting about his question for Daisy. "A frontier brain does not focus on battling with a certain Pokemon type, but rather with a certain strategy. They test other trainers on how well they can handle and cope with different forms of battle and different situations, and are generally stronger than gym leaders."

"My dad's a frontier brain!" a hyper-sounding boy named Barry, who had blond hair and orange eyes, announced excitedly. "They call him the Tower Tycoon Palmer, and he's super-strong! One of the strongest!"

"And what's an elite four?" someone else asked.

"Elite four are four very strong top trainers who battle exceptionally well with a specific Pokemon type." Mr. Robertson informed everyone.

"And if you beat the elite four, you can battle the champion!" Gary put in.

Just the thought seemed to exhilarate the class, as it led everyone to start cheering and yelling about how they were going to be the ones to be champion.

"You can all be champions if you want!" Ash shouted over the noise. "Cuz I'm gonna be the Pokemon Master! That means I'll be stronger than _every_ champion I face!"

"You?" Paul scoffed. "_You_ are going to be Master? What a joke."

"I agree with you there, Paul." Gary chimed in.

"Yeah I am!" Ash faced his friends angrily. "I'll show you! Let's have a Pokemon battle!"

"Fine." Paul accepted the challenge.

"CLASS!" Mr. Robertson bellowed, causing everyone to fall silent. "_Please_ behave!"

"Sorry..." Dawn apologized for everyone.

"It's okay." Mr. Robertson said tiredly. Who _couldn't_ accept the apology of sweet Dawn Berlitz? "Just please, let's try to be a little quieter. Okay?"

The class murmured in agreement.

"Good. Now, it's not as simple as that. You can't just challenge the elite four. You need to win a Pokemon league to be able to do that. There are different leagues for different areas, like the Kanto league for Kanto, or the Johto league for Johto. To enter a league, you have to have defeated eight gym leaders that are for the same type of league you are planning to enter. In other words, if you are planning to enter the Kanto league, you have to defeat eight Kanto gym leaders and receive badges from them. But you can't use the gym badges you received from a Johto gym leader for the Kanto league."

"And then, you win the Pokemon League, and beat the champion, and become the Master!" some screamed out.

The effect was instantaneous. The class erupted in excitement, loudly discussing their future plans on becoming the best ever.

"Class! Class!" Mr. Robertson tried to say, before throwing his hands in the air. "You know what? I give up!" He went to his desk where he sulked for the rest of class.

* * *

"That was a fun class!" May said happily as they walked out the school doors. School was over, and it was home time now. "We got to talk all class!"

"I don't think Mr. Robertson really wanted the lesson to go like that..." Dawn said.

"Hey," Drew suddenly remembered something, and he turned to Ash and Paul. "Weren't you guys going to battle or something?"

"Oh yeah!" Leaf cheered. "Pokemon battle time!"

"Now?" Ash asked nervously.

"Yeah, now." Paul narrowed his eyes mockingly. "Unless the great future Pokemon Master is too _scared_."

"No, it's not that!" Ash protested indignantly. "I just don't have Pikachu with me right now!"

"Seriously, Ash?" Gary laughed. "You are finally allowed to carry a Pokemon around with you, and you don't even have it here?"

"Oh, come on, Gary, you know why!" Ash scowled. "You know Pikachu doesn't like staying in its pokeball, so I have to leave it at home when I go to school, because Pokemon aren't allowed in class!"

"Hey, look!" Misty pointed to where there was a crowd of students. "It looks like there is something going on over there!"

Forgetting about Ash's current lack of Pokemon, the group went over to investigate. What they saw boosted the elation within them.

Standing in the middle of the crowd were a man with a red Afro. But he wasn't just any man with a red Afro. No, he was Flint, one of the Sinnoh elite four members! What such a powerful trainer was doing at their school was unknown to the group of eight, but they knew one thing. This was their chance to meet him! Not only would they have interacted with someone so famous, they would also get unlimited bragging rights as well.

After a fair amount of pushing and shoving, the group travelled through the crowd to arrive in front of the elite four member.

"You're Flint, right?" Ash said eagerly.

Flint chuckled. "Why, yes I am!"

"Wow!" Ash exclaimed as he goggled at him. "I'm gonna be as strong as you when I grow up! No, even stronger!"

"You?" some older kid in the crowd laughed. "You'll never get _that_ strong!"

"Who says he won't?" Paul growled at him with such ferocity he ceased his laughter. Ash turned to him gratefully.

"You did, actually." Drew muttered in Paul's ear.

"And I still think it." Paul muttered back, causing Ash's gratefulness to be erased.

Flint laughed. "Well, it does take a _lot_ of effort to get this strong, and even more if you want to become stronger. But as long as you keep at it with everything you got, it's always possible to end up at the top!" he said encouragingly.

Dawn gasped. "Hey, that rhymed! It was like the poetry Gary's grandpa always says!"

"Can we leave my grandpa out of this?" Gary mumbled, looking a bit embarrassed at the fact that Dawn always seemed to refer to Professor Oak every time she heard something rhyme.

"You battle with fire-types, right?" Misty addressed Flint. "How do you deal with water-types, then?"

"Oh, there are ways." Flint winked. "It always helps to teach your Pokemon moves that help in those kinds of situations. Like, for instance, the move Sunny Day. It highers the power of fire type moves, but at the same time, lowers the power of water type ones."

"Fire-types?" May grinned widely. "I got my first Pokemon. It's Torchic, and it's a fire-type too!"

"If you don't mind me asking, why are you at our school right now?" Leaf inquired curiously.

"Oh, I was asked if I could come over and demonstrate some battling techniques to some of the higher grades." Flint smiled and shrugged. "It was a great day off from doing my usual elite four stuff. Plus teaching here was a blast, even if it was for one day."

"It would be so cool if you were my dad..." someone said dreamily.

Flint chuckled, but before he could say anything else, his phone rang. After answering it, he sighed, and turned to everyone.

"Sorry guys, but looks like I have some elite four duties to fulfill. Nice meeting you all!" He waved as he walked off to his car, with the majority of the crowd trailing behind him.

"Wow, we got to meet such a strong trainer today!" Ash said, still feeling pumped up from the experience.

"We've met really strong trainers before too, though." Leaf pointed out.

"Yeah, but it's really cool to meet another one! It makes me want to get stronger faster!"

"You better start actually carrying your Pokemon around with you, then!" Gary snickered. "There is no way you'll get strong if you have to keep saying no to challenges."

"Are we even allowed to have Pokemon battles at school?" Drew wondered.

The group of eight chattered away as they conversed about Pokemon trainers and battling. Naturally, they each believed they could out-do the other. In the end, they decided they would prove their claims to one another in the future.

* * *

**Chapter end!  
**

**Okay, everyone, I just want to say that starting now, I will no longer be accepting any more suggestions. It isn't because I don't like getting them (I do like getting them!) but it's because I'm becoming pretty busy these days, so my writing-time is being really cut down (I'm sure you've noticed, because of my late updates). Besides, I already have about 20 topics to work on already, so it's not like I'll run out of ideas any time soon! I might start accepting suggestions again later, but for now, I'm sorry, but it doesn't look like I can. You've all been great giving me topics, and I really enjoy writing chapters on them! It just looks like this is the situation for now. Hope you all understand!**

**Bye bye! And have a smiling day! :)**

* * *

**Respond to _treehugger_'s review:**

Hi treehugger! Thanks for reading my fanfic! I'm sorry, but I really don't know any forums that don't require emails. I'll tell you if I find one. Nice to meet you, though! :)


	32. Princes and Dragons

**Hello everyone! You may be wondering why I'm updating early. Well, it's because I managed to squeeze in some writing-time, and succeeded in finishing the chapter. Plus, I might be busy during the weekend, so I don't know if I'll get time to update then. So here's the next chapter! Happy reading!**

**Today's topic was suggested by _jg13145_.**

**Disclaimer: I do not own Pokemon in any way, shape or size!**

* * *

**Princes and Dragons  
**

**Grade Three  
**

**May (8), Drew (8), Dawn (8), Ash (9), Gary (9), Leaf (8), Misty (9), Paul (9)  
**

It was Spring Break, which meant no school, and plenty of time to enjoy the weather, which was steadily becoming warmer. May was hanging out at the park with her seven best friends. The only problem was that the eight of them were at a loss on what to do. They all seemed to disagree on anything they came up with, and were currently lying on a grassy hill beside the playground in sheer boredom.

"Hide-and-seek?" Ash said, trying to think of something that they would all enjoy.

"Where would we hide, though?" Misty pointed out. "There aren't many places to hide here at the park where we won't be seen easily."

"Tag?" May suggested.

"No, I don't wanna play tag." Dawn refused. "I don't feel like running around and getting all tired right now."

There was a silence before Gary spoke up. "This is _booooring_! Isn't there _anything_ we can do?"

"I've been saying things we can do all day, but everyone keeps saying no!" Ash said, frowning.

"Yeah, but I want to do something new and exciting!"

"Like what?" Leaf turned to him.

"Oh, I don't know. Maybe something like fighting a dragon, or going on an adventure!"

"Yeah, like we can do something like that right now." Paul said sarcastically, rolling his eyes.

"Actually, that's not such a bad idea!" Dawn exclaimed thoughtfully. The others stared at her.

"Um, Dawn? Where are we going to find dragons to conquer?" Drew asked a bit exasperatedly.

Dawn stood up, a huge grin on her face, and her eyes sparkling with creativity. "The same place where we find wizards and princes and kingdoms and magic!"

"Um, I don't know..." May tried hard to think of something. "An amusement park?"

"A fairy tale?" Leaf guessed, sitting up.

"Yes!" Dawn punched the air enthusiastically. "And where do fairy tales exist? "

"In books?"

"Yes, but mostly in our imagination!"

"What's your point?" Gary asked, his eyebrow raised.

"My point is," Dawn planted her hands on her hips. "We now have the perfect idea for a game!"

The others stared at her blankly.

"Wait... what exactly are we playing?" Ash wanted to clarify.

"A game made up of our imagination! One of us can be the prince, and the other can be the princess, and there will also be the evil villain, and then we can all make a fairy tale story! The villain will capture the beautiful princess, and then the prince will have to save her, and-"

"But there are _eight_ of us." Misty interrupted. "How are we all going to have a part?"

"There can be more than one princess. And everyone else can have different parts, like a wizard, or a sidekick or something."

"I don't want to play such a _girly_ game." Gary said, scowling. "Let's play something else."

"Like what?" Ash asked.

"Um... we'll think of something." Gary mumbled.

"We've been_ trying_ to think of something for so long." Dawn said, huffing. "And we've been bored the whole time. C'mon, guys, it'll be fun!"

May stood up, smiling. "Okay! It does sound like fun!"

Leaf joined them. "I don't have a problem with it."

Dawn beamed, and then turned to the others expectantly. Ash hesitated before standing up too.

"Sure! Let's do it!" He faced the others. Drew got up calmly.

"I guess if everyone's doing it."

Misty stood beside them soon after. "Fine. Just don't expect be to be some damsel-in-distress princess or anything."

"Come on, Gary, Paul." Ash urged. "Maybe it won't be _that_ girly. And you guys don't want to end up doing nothing, right?"

"It doesn't look like there is much choice." Gary said begrudgingly. "Come on, Paul. Let's just get this over with."

"Come on, smile!" Dawn encouraged. "We are supposed to be having fun!"

"So who's going to be who?" Leaf wondered.

Dawn twirled around like a ballerina. "I want to be one of the princesses!" she announced.

"I'll be one of the princesses too!" May said excitedly.

"We need a prince! Let's see..." Dawn observed the boys.

"Not me!" Gary folded his arms, not wanting to be involved in a romantic princess-rescue.

"Do you _really_ want _me_ as a prince?" Paul pointed out.

"I'll be the prince." Drew offered, shrugging. "All I have to do is save you guys from the bad guy, right?"

Dawn nodded happily, glad that (almost) everyone was getting into the spirit of the game. "Okay, good! Now, Ash, you can be... um..."

"I can be the helper." Ash said. "You know, like the prince's sidekick."

"Yes!" Dawn clapped her hands. "And Leaf can be the wise adviser who tells Drew what he can do, and Misty can be the mermaid who gives them hints on where to go."

Dawn turned to Paul and Gary, both who were looking very reluctant. "For you guys..."

"I'll be the evil villain." Paul cut in. "I know you'll make me him anyways."

"Actually, I was going to make you the king. But evil villain works too. That means Gary's the king!"

"What does the king do?" Gary asked sulkily.

"Well, whatever kings usually do. He tells people what to do and stuff like that. You know."

"So I get to order everyone around?" Gary smirked. "I think that works for me."

"Great!" Dawn looked at her friends enthusiastically. "Let's play! So, we start with the princesses getting captured!"

Everyone turned to Paul. He noticed their gaze. "What?"

"You're supposed to capture us." Dawn reminded him, gesturing to herself and May.

"Oh."

And thus, the adventure began.

* * *

_Once upon a time, in a land far away..._

_"King Gary!" a black-haired knight yelled as he barged through the door of the castle.  
_

_"What is it, Sir Ash?" King Gary snapped. "Can't you see I'm in the middle of playing a video game?"_

_"The princesses - both of them - have been captured by the evil wizard Paul!"_

_The king snorted. "Evil wizard Paul?"_

_"The Dark Conqueror!" the villain's voice floated through the air even though he wasn't there, as if sending his title to the king with the use of magic._

_"Okay, then, the Dark Conqueror. So, why did he capture them?"_

_"Um, I don't know." Sir Ash sheepishly rubbed the back of his head. "He never said why. He just used a spell and forced them to go with him."_

_"Oh." King Gary thought for a moment. "I don't feel like going all the way to the wizards evil lair to get them back. It might be a trap for me, and I'm too important to be trapped. You go get them."_

_"M-me?" Sir Ash sputtered. "All alone? Won't that be too dangerous?"_

_"You're right. You're too weak for this. Call Prince Drew."_

_Scowling, Sir Ash left, and then came back, this time leading a green-haired (and, might I add, exceedingly handsome-looking) prince, who calmly turned to the king._

_"Yes, your Majesty?" he addressed politely._

_"The Dark Conqueror Paul took the princesses to his castle for some reason, and he won't let them go. You have to go get them back."_

_"Sounds easy enough." Prince Drew flipped his slick, gorgeous hair, to add dramatic effect. "Sure, I'll go."_

_"And Sir Ash, you go too." Gary ordered._

_"Huh? Why?" the black-haired boy asked, befuddled._

_"Cuz I said so. Prince Drew, Sir Ash is your servant now."_

_"What?! I'm I knight! You can't make me a servant!"_

_"Yes I can, because I'm the king. So go already! You're supposed to save the princesses."_

_"Okay!" Prince Drew winked charmingly. "I'll be back with the two ladies before you know it!"_

_"Just go."_

_"Okay, okay! Come on, Sir Ash. We've got a mission to accomplish!" The two brave warriors left on their quest._

_Meanwhile..._

_"Let us go!" the beautiful Princess Dawn commanded shrilly._

_The Dark Conqueror, who was napping on an armchair with his feet on the coffee table, opened an eye lazily. "Can you be quiet? I'm trying to sleep."_

_"Me too." the equally stunning Princess May said. "But I can't sleep, because I can only sleep in a huge, comfy bed."_

_"Then go to the guest room." the Dark Conqueror suggested, shrugging. "Just be quiet."_

_Princess May seemed to be about to eagerly leave for the guest room when Princess Dawn spoke up. "We can't go anywhere when you have up chained up like this!" she said hotly._

_"Yeah?" the Dark Conqueror briefly glanced at them, as if just realizing they were being restrained. "Well too bad for you, then."_

_"You can't do this to us, Paul!" Princess Dawn shouted. "You'll never get away with this!"_

_"Okay, first of all, it's the Dark Conqueror, not Paul." the wizard corrected. "Second, I just put a spell on you, so you can't talk anymore."_

_Princess Dawn scowled while Princess May just watched on worriedly. She turned to the villain. "Um, you didn't put the spell on me too, right?"_

_"Are you going to talk?"_

_"N-no! I'll be quiet if you want!"_

_"Good. Then I didn't put the spell on you."_

_They were silent for a moment, before Princess May spoke up nervously. _

_"Um, can I have some chocolate?"_

_Back with the heroes..._

_"Um, so which way are we supposed to go again?" Sir Ash asked.  
_

_"I already told you," the devilishly handsome Prince Drew reminded him. "The Dark Conqueror's castle is at the end of Night Green Forest."_

_"And where is Night Green Forest?"_

_"How am I supposed to know? You're the one with the map."_

_"What map?"_

_"The map that you were supposed to bring along." Prince Drew's eyes narrowed. "You _did_ bring the map, right?"_

_"How can I bring it if no one gave it to me?" Sir Ash justified. _

_Prince Drew groaned. "You were supposed to bring it, you being- ah- the _servant_ and all."  
_

_"Hello. You guys are looking hopelessly lost." a voice spoke up. The two boys turned to meet a girl with large green eyes.  
_

_"We are." Sir Ash confirmed."Do you know where to find Night Green Forest?"_

_"No, not really. But I can advise you on what to do right now and stuff."_

_"That would be greatly appreciated." Prince Drew said in a mannerly fashion. He smiled as he flipped his hair. "I'm Prince Drew."_

_"Sir Ash here! At your service!"_

_"Pleasure to meet you." The girl tapped her chin reflectively. "I guess that makes me, um, Lady Leaf of Wise Advice. You can call me Lady Leaf. So whatcha guys doing?"  
_

_"I have to go rescue two princesses from the evil Dark Conqueror." Prince Drew explained. "His castle is at the end of Night Green Forest, but Sir Ash - who, by the way, is my servant - forgot the map."_

_"You never even told me to bring it!" Sir Ash protested resentfully._

_"Well, what you guys can do," Lady Leaf pointed to the sky. "Is spin around and around while looking at the clouds and singing 'Twinkle, Twinkle Clefairy Star'!"_

_"What! Why do we have to do that?!" Sir Ash blurted out._

_"There is no way I'm going to do something so foolish-looking." Prince Drew stuck his nose in the air._

_"Fine." Lady Leaf shrugged. "If you don't want to save the princesses, that's your choice."_

_Prince Drew scowled before letting out a defeated sigh. "Fine." he conceded. "We'll do it."_

_"We will?" Sir Ash seemed opposed to it._

_"Yes." Prince Drew said forcibly. The two did as Lady Leaf had ordered them to. By the end, they were both very dizzy, and fell to the ground. To their fury, they saw Lady Leaf laughing at them._

_"What?" Prince Drew growled._

_"That was hilarious!" Lady Leaf wiped a tear from her eye._

_The prince was red in the face. "How was this supposed to help us find the forest again?"_

_"It wasn't. I just always wanted to see someone do that!"_

_"WHAT?!" both boys yelled out angrily._

_"Oh, relax! I was also testing to see how far you guys will go to do your mission. So now, here's my real advice: go to the Lake of Milotic Scales, where you'll find a mermaid. She knows exactly where the forest and all those kinds of stuff are."_

_"And where is the Lake of Milotic Scales?"_

_"Over there." The girl pointed to the sparkling lake, which could be seen nearby._

_"Okay then. Let's go!" Prince Drew marched onward and his two companions followed close behind. They arrived at their destination, where there was a beautiful mermaid with orange hair.  
_

_"I am Mermaid Misty." she introduced herself. "Aaaand, who are you?"_

_The three answered her question, and told her about their problem. _

_"I can help you with that." Mermaid Misty said. "Okay, so you go down the strawberry path, then, when you reach the forest, you have to cross the Quicksand of Goopiness, go through the Pointy Thorny Place, and then - the worse part - you have to get through the Branches of Big Bugs!" _

_"Really? Big bugs?"_

_"Yeah, and they're poisonous too."_

_"Okay, thanks then." As they started heading away, Mermaid Misty called out to them. _

_"Wait, I'm coming too!"_

_"How can you come?" Sir Ash asked, nonplussed. "You don't have feet. Only a tail."_

_"When I come out of water, my tail turns into feet."_

_"That's freaky!" _

_Frowning, Mermaid Misty climbed out of the lake and walked up to him. "It is NOT!"_

_"Yeah it is! So your tail becomes a foot? That's so weird!"_

_Mermaid Misty furiously pulled out a huge mallet from the magic lake and used it to hit Sir Ash on the head. "It turns into TWO legs, dumby! Not one! Can't you see since I'm standing right in front of you?!"_

_"Ow..." Sir Ash moaned, rubbing his head. "Okay, okay! Sorry! Wait, where did you get that mallet?"_

_"From my house in the lake, duh."_

_"No, really Mist, where did you get it?"_

_"HOLD ON, GUYS! WAIT FOR ME!" a voice yelled out, along with huffing and puffing._

_"King Gary!" Prince Drew said, clearly surprised. "What are you doing here? Weren't you back at the castle?"_

_"Yeah, but I got bored." The king shrugged. "I thought I'd come along too. Just to watch."_

_"So you're King Gary." Lady Leaf noted. "Just as I thought. You don't look like someone who would do a lot of fighting." Her comment earned her a glare from the mighty ruler._

_"But weren't you saying you could get hurt, and you're too important-?" Prince Drew started, but was interrupted._

_"Yeah, yeah." King Gary waved him off. "I'm just gonna watch. You're gonna be the one doing all the fighting."_

_Prince Drew frowned, but he didn't argue. He was the king, after all. The group of five began heading into Night Green Forest, where dangers awaited them, along with multiple factors to fuel their quarreling with one another._

_Going back to the Dark Conqueror's Lair..._

_"This is so booooooring!" Princess Dawn whined. "We're not doing anything!"_

_"I am. But you keep waking me up." the evil wizard grumbled. "And didn't I put a no-talking spell on you?"_

_"Yeah, well I broke it." Princess Dawn said irritatedly. "I wear a magic ring that breaks that kind of spells."_

_"Don't worry." Princess May assured her. "I'm sure Prince Drew will come rescue us."_

_"No, he won't." the Dark Conqueror grunted. "I put a spell on the castle so it's invisible. They won't be able to see it."_

_"That's terrible!" Princess Dawn gasped in horror._

_"Yes, it is," the Dark Conqueror agreed. "Because now I have to put up with your annoying chatter for the rest of my life. Why did I capture you, again?"_

_"Seriously? You don't even know why you captured us?" _

_"Ooooo, can I make a reason!" Princess May offered excitedly. "I watched a lot of movies like this!"_

_"Go ahead. Be my guest." the wizard permitted._

_"Actually, we're you're prisoners." Princess Dawn's statement went unheard._

_"Okay!" Princess May squealed in joy and enthusiasm. "So, you want to be the king, so you kidnapped his daughters, the princesses, so that you can marry one of them and become king. But then the prince who was supposed to marry one of the princesses and become king saves us, and then we almost live happily ever after. Almost, because the princess who doesn't become queen gets angry, and then joins you again so that you two can take over the world! Then, there is this huge battle, and you and the prince defeat each other. The princesses are sad, because they lost their true loves, and that's the end."_

_Princess May sighed dreamily, with her hands clasped together, and a sad, faraway look in her eyes. "Such a romantic tragedy!"_

_"No way that's happening!" the Dark Conqueror said disgustedly. "That was a terrible story! I don't want to marry! What kind of movies do you even watch?!"_

_"And which one of us two princesses was supposed to be the one who becomes evil?" Dawn questioned, her hands on her hips. "If you're going to be the good one, does that mean I have to be the evil one?"  
_

_"Well, I hadn't really thought about that..."_

_"Hey! Princesses! Are you there?" A shouting voice could be heard. Princesses Dawn and May immediately ran to the window. Their rescuers had come!_

_"We're over here!" they cried. The evil wizard pushed them back from the window and stuck his head out._

_"You'll never find us! I put a spell, so my castle's invisible, so you can't see us!"_

_Prince Drew frowned. "Now what do we do?"_

_"Easy." Lady Leaf said. "You just have to find a magic tree and climb it. That would help you see it no matter what spell Paul uses."_

_"My name is the Dark Conqueror!" the evil wizard's voice rang out, but was ignored.  
_

_"So where do we find a magic tree?" the prince asked._

_"Hmm, that's one!" Mermaid Misty pointed to a tall tree with a thick trunk and sturdy branches. "That's a magic tree."_

_King Gary turned to Sir Ash. "You climb it and look."_

_"Why me?"_

_"Because you're the servant and I'm the king, so I get to order you around."_

_Scowling, Sir Ash had no choice but to obey. He reached for branch after branch, hauling himself up higher and higher. He was climbing remarkably well, and much better than he used to. Watching him go up so high in that tree, Princess May felt a wave of deja vu wash over her. Had something like this happened before? And why was she getting the feeling that something was going to go wrong?_

_Sir Ash finally stopped on a thick, stable branch. He scanned the area, and pointed to where he could see the princesses and the wizard looking out the window._

_"There!" he yelled out. "They're over there!"_

_"Excellent job, Sir Ash!" Prince Drew praised. He began heading to the direction Sir Ash had pointed to._

_"Uh, guys?" Everyone looked up to where Sir Ash was still seated. _

_"S'matter, Ashy-boy, just come down already!" King Gary called out._

_"Yeah, well that's the thing."_

_"What?"_

_"I don't know how to get down."_

* * *

"Okay, time out!" Misty shouted. She gestured to May, Dawn and Paul to tell them to come join the rest of the group. They arrived, puzzled at the interruption of the game, but they understood once they saw what the situation was.

"Ash! Are you okay?" May yelled out worriedly.

"Yeah, I'm fine!" Ash reassured her. "Just don't know how to get down!"

"Hang on, I'll call for help!" Drew began to look around to see whether there were any grown-ups around. Gary's grandpa hadn't come to supervise them, since they were no longer six, but eight and nine years of age, and were capable of walking to the close-by park and back during the afternoon without any trouble. Which meant Drew would have to locate someone else.

"Is there a problem here?" A woman wearing a coat and a large hat on her long, blonde hair appeared at the scene, her face hidden by the shadow of her hat. The eight friends were unfamiliar with her, but she seemed to give off a positive aura.

"Our friend is stuck up there!" Leaf pointed to the high branch where Ash was.

"I'm okay!" he called down. "Just need to get down!"

"I think I can help with that." the woman said thoughtfully. She pulled out a pokeball, which the children eyed curiously.

"Garchomp, battle dance!" A ferocious-looking Garchomp emerged, but seemed puzzled when it couldn't detect an opponent in sight.

"Gar?" It turned to its trainer.

"Actually, we're not battling." the woman said, laughing lightly. "I want you to go up this tree, and help that boy come down. Think you can manage?"

"Chomp!" The Pokemon nodded, and faster than anyone could blink, it was up in the air beside Ash. It helped him climb onto its back, and then descended, making sure to not go too fast.

"Great job, Garchomp!" the woman praised, petting it as Ash climbed off.

"That was so cool!" Ash exclaimed. "Riding a Garchomp!" Gary eyed him jealously.

"Wait, I know who you are!" Paul blurted out unexpectedly. He was gaping at the woman, whose hat had flown off when Garchomp had taken off, revealing her face.

"Hm?"

"You're Cynthia the Sinnoh Champion, aren't you?" The others went wide-eyed at Paul's statement. They turned to the woman in wonder.

"That's right!" Dawn exclaimed, enraptured by the presence of someone so famous. "I didn't recognize you because of your hat! I see you on TV and in magazines all the time!"

"Wow, a real champion! Here at the park!" The eight crowded around, marveled at the sudden, unexpected appearance.

"Cynthia, didn't you say you wanted to have a nice, quiet afternoon without your fans today?" A man with red hair sticking out from under his hat walked up to the group. "And here you are, displaying your glory here in a public park."

"Lance, I was just helping these kids out. They just happened to recognize me." Cynthia said calmly as she recalled her Garchomp.

"Wait, do you mean Lance, as in the Kanto and Johto Champion?!" Gary exclaimed loudly. The only answer he received was a glance from the man, whose eyes travelled to his for only a second.

"You are?!" Misty stared at the two dumbfounded.

"No way!" Ash whispered in awe. "Two champions. Here, right in front of me! I never thought that would happen!"

"Why are two champions here at the park like this?" Drew asked.

"Well, there is a meeting in the city that both of us have to attend, but it isn't until tomorrow." Cynthia explained. "So the both of us decided to take today as a relaxing day off. Unfortunately, it's very hard for that to happen, since whenever people see that we're the champions, they want to hang out with us."

"Oh, so are we bothering you?" May asked nervously.

Cynthia smiled "No, not at all! Just don't tell anyone we're here, okay?" she added with a wink as she put her hat back on, hiding her face.

"We won't!" they promised.

"Lance?" Gary caught the champion's attention. He grinned eagerly. "We got to see Cynthia's Garchomp, so can we see your Dragonite? From what I know, it's really strong!"

"Gary!" Leaf elbowed him in the side. "They want a nice relaxing day! Don't go bothering him like that!"

"I guess you can." Lance replied. "There aren't many people around, so it probably won't attract too much attention. Just for a second, though."

He let out his dragon-type, which they all admired, before he quickly called it back.

"Nice to meet all of you!" Cynthia said, smiling warmly. "But we have to go now. There is an ice cream shop that we were planning to try out!"

"That _you_ were planning to try out." Lance muttered. Nevertheless, the two champions bid their farewells, and soon disappeared.

"Wow." Ash breathed.

"That. Was. Amazing." Leaf commented breathlessly. The others murmured their agreements.

"Wait!" Dawn realized suddenly. "We haven't finished the fairy tale!" It took the others a second to figure out what she was talking about. Paul responded first.

"So?"

"So we need an ending! We have to continue playing!"

"No we don't. Here's what happens: The Dark Conqueror fights the prince and wins. Then he tells the princesses to leave, because he only captured them because he was bored and wanted to do something like fight the prince. And they all go home. The end."

"That wasn't a very nice ending." Dawn said sulkily.

"Yes it was." Paul defended the conclusion he gave.

"So what are we gonna do now?" Misty wondered.

"Oh, I know!" Leaf said. "Come over to my house. It's only a few minutes walk from here, and there are two boxes of popsicles in the freezer. Anyone wanna help me finish them?"

Naturally, everyone thought this was a great idea, and they all began headed to their friend's house.

* * *

**And they all lived happily ever after! The end!**

**It was fun writing a story within a story! Hope you guys enjoyed! I'll try to write out the next chapter by next week, though if I somehow finish early, I'll post it. **

**Please review, and thanks for reading! **

**Bye bye for now! And have a smiling day! :)**


	33. School Bake-off!

**Hello everyone! Here I am!**

**Oh boy. Looks like another late update. Oh well, better late than never! Here's the chapter for you guys to enjoy!**

**Today's topic was suggested by_ jg13145_.**

**Disclaimer: I do not own Pokemon in any way, shape or size!**

* * *

**School Bake-off!**

**Grade Two  
**

**May (7), Ash (7), Drew (7), Gary (7), Misty (8), Paul (8)**

"Camera's rolling in three! Two! One! Action!"

"Hi there! I'm Solidad from grade eleven, and I will be your host for this competition! Yes, today is the school's annual bake-off!"

Solidad spoke into her microphone as she walked around, pointing out all the work stations, the camera following close behind, recording her every word and gesture.

"Looks like we have quite a lot of competition today! And there are many people coming here to watch as well. Many of the younger students and the parents and teachers will be the audience. Wow, it's much more crowded than last year! And over here we have our panel of judges. Three well-known gym leaders have decided to join us for this event. They are Fantina from Sinnoh, Burgh, all the way from Unova, and last but not least, it's Hoenn's Roxanne! So, Ms. Fantina, may you please explain the rules?"

Solidad held out the microphone for the gym leader to speak into, but Fantina took it enthusiastically to hold it herself.

"Bonjour, tout le monde! I am Fantina, a Sinnoh gym leader!" she said, speaking in her Kalosian accent. "I am very excited to see everyone here today! For this competition, we have students from grade seven up who are to bake a dessert to entertain our taste buds. We judges will be trying a bit of every treat, and giving scores to decide who is at the top. The competitors are allowed to have teams, so they can either work by themselves, or form a group of up to four. But no Pokemon assistance allowed! And at the end, everyone can enjoy the desserts! Now wouldn't that be fun!"

She handed the microphone back to Solidad.

"Thank you, Ms. Fantina!" Solidad said smiling before she turned back to the camera. "Okay, now let's go get some interviews!"

She walked up to a station where four boys were setting up their supplies.

"And here we have station 4, who call themselves the Gourmet Chefs! They seem confident that they are going to win!" She gestured to one of the boys, the green-haired one, to come over to give a comment or two.

"So, over here we have one of the Gourmet Chefs member! So why don't you tell us your name?" She held out the microphone to him.

"My name is Cilan, at your service!"

"Hello Cilan! And mind telling us about your team members?"

"Today, my team members are my two brothers, Cress and Chili, as well as a fellow classmate and friend, Brock, with all of us currently being in grade seven. We all teamed up because we know if we work together and combine each of our unique styles of baking, we will be able come up with the most exquisite result that is sure to delight the tastes of our judges. Our skill and passion is what drives and elevates our confidence!"

"I'm sure you and your group will do great! Thank you, Cilan, now I'll let you get back to work!"

As Cilan returned to arranging his supplies with the other three, Solidad walked along, until she reached another station. This one was occupied by only one person.

"Hello there! Do you mind giving us some of your time?"

"Why, of course not, Hon! Welcome to my humble station 5! Now what is that you want to ask me?"

"You are a participant today as well, correct? So what is your name?"

"I'm the one and only Harley, of course! Like you, I'm in grade eleven, and unlike you, I will be baking as well! I know some pretty good recipes, so watch out, all you sweeties!" He said the last part into the camera, winking impishly.

"Okay, thank you Harley! Now let's move on... Oh look! There seems to be a duo at work here!" Solidad arrived at yet another station. There were two teenagers there: a girl with long red hair, blue eyes, and round green earrings, and a boy with blue hair and green eyes.

"Ugh, James! Can't you do anything right?" the girl snarled, oblivious to the camera pointing at her.

"Cool, it Jess, it just slipped from my hand. Maybe it wouldn't have if you had just put that pan in its right place!"

"If you are going to do something, the least you can do is do it right!"

"Well, I don't see you doing anything!"

"Ahem." Solidad cleared her throat to get the attention of the bickering two. The both of them turned to her and suddenly straightened out, replacing the scowls on their faces with unnaturally wide smiles.

"Why, hello!" the girl said cheerfully. "You are here to no doubt interview me, am I right? I AM the most gorgeous contestant, after all!"

"Hi there! Do you two mind telling us about yourself?"

"You want to know about little old me?" the boy spoke up. "Well, I'm James, and-"

"_I'm_ Jessie, of course, the fabulous winner-to-be! They should just skip the whole event, and hand first place over to me, since there is no doubt I'll be the one to come out on top!"

"Um, we're a team, remember Jess? Anyways, we call ourselves the Rocket Duo, the proud bakers of station 7!"

"And _I_ will be stealing first place, of course! So, there really is no point for everyone else to even try. They're just asking for trouble!"

"Jessie, don't you mean _we_?"

"Oh, puh-lease! I'm the one running the show!"

"But I'm the brains behind the team!"

"As if! If it weren't for me, we wouldn't have even come this far!"

"The competition hasn't even begun yet!"

"Er, okay..." Solidad tried and failed to interrupt the two's quarrel. She turned to the camera a little sheepishly. "That was the Rocket Duo! Now let's go see what the audience is thinking!" The pink-haired girl walked to a young boy amongst the crowd of spectators.

"Hello there! How are you today?"

"Hi, Solidad!" The boy grinned ad flipped his green hair. "I'm fine, thank you."

"And your name is?" The boy blinked at her.

"You know my name. It's Drew."

"Yes, but I'm asking for the camera."

"Oh." Drew faced the camera. "Hi, I'm Drew."

"Any thoughts about the bake-off, Drew?"

"It's very exciting. My grade seven reading buddy is competing over there." He pointed at Cilan. "My friends really love the bake-off too. Especially Ash and May, cuz they love treats."

"And where are these friends of yours?"

"Over there." He pointed to a location where five kids about the same age as him were standing.

"How about you lead me to them? Then I can interview them as well!"

"Okay! They'll like that!" He thought for a second. "Maybe not Paul though, but the others would." He led her to the others, whom she greeted brightly.

"Hello there! Do you guys want to say a few words for the camera?"

"Okay!" The girl wearing a red bandana quickly came up front. "Hi!"

"And what's your name?" The question made the little girl blink, but then she smiled.

"My name is May!" Her smile was extra-large to show Solidad that it was okay that she had forgotten her name.

"And you like the bake-off, don't you?"

"Yes! There are lots of cakes and cookies and brownies and stuff! It's like a free bake sale at the end!"

"It really is, isn't it? And what about you? What's your name?" Solidad held out the microphone to a boy with black hair wearing a baseball cap.

"My names Ash! The bake-off's a lot off fun, and my reading buddy is going to make stuff too!" He pointed at Brock. "He said he would give me an extra treat later if I really want, but not to tell any-." Ash stopped mid-sentence, realizing that he had nearly revealed a secret. Good thing he had stopped himself when he had!

"Wait, he said he'd give me an extra treat too." a girl with orange hair said.

"Maybe it's because your both his reading buddies, Misty." May suggested. She did feel a little left out, but maybe she could get something from Cilan. And maybe Harley too.

"And our reading buddy is there too!" a boy with spiky hair cut in, gesturing to himself and a boy with purple hair standing next to him.

"And your names are?" The teenage girl wasted no time moving the microphone to them.

"I'm Gary, and this is Paul. And Chili's our buddy, so maybe he'll give us a treat as well!"

"Give _you_ a treat." Paul corrected. "I don't want one."

"Mister Grouchy..." Gary muttered.

Ash stared at all of them. How had they found out about the promised extra treat? He had stopped himself right in the middle of spilling the secret, hadn't he? He watched on, a bemused expression on his face as he pondered the question of 'how'.

* * *

"And let the bake-off begin!" the judge, Burgh, announced, both hands raised in the air. "Start the timer!"

The room was instantly filled with the noise of all the competitors taking out ingredients, preparing batter, and doing whatever they could to complete their recipes. The audience watched transfixed, pointing out mistakes someone made, or letting out gasps when someone accomplished a risky feat. Solidad provided the spectators with commentary, drawing their attention to different stations while a few other students, who were handling the cameras, scuttled about, trying to capture all the excitement on tape.

"You know," Gary muttered in Paul's ear. "It would be pretty funny if Chili Pepper '_accidentally_' messed up and ruined his baking." Paul smirked at this, understanding what his friend was hinting. But Ash seemed to have overheard.

"No, it won't." he said, frowning. "It's cheating! And that would mean Brock, and Chili's two brothers will all mess up their baking too, and that won't be fair. Besides, I really want to try what they make!"

Gary and Paul were both surprised that the dense boy actually caught onto their plan, before realizing he was simply stating that it won't be funny if some misfortune with Chili did happen to occur. To their dismay, they also realized the truth in what Ash was saying. A small prank on Chili would cost the whole team, including those who were not their target. They dismissed the idea of mischief.

"Oh dear! Looks like station 7 is having a bit of trouble!" Solidad commented as a great puff of black smoke emerged from the Rocket Duo's oven.

"I don't think I want to try their baking." May said anxiously.

"Yeah." Ash agreed. "But there is still a lot of stuff we can eat! I can't wait to try those cookies at station 6!"

"Is food all you ever think of?" Misty said, rolling her eyes. She glanced at station 6. She couldn't exactly see who were the three occupying it, as it was pretty far from where she was standing. But even from a distance, she somehow found them looking familiar...

"And times up!" Roxanne announced, blowing on a whistle. "Everyone, please get ready! Burgh, Fantina and I will be coming around to test your results!"

The on-lookers chattered amongst themselves, taking note of the judges' expressions as they tried different desserts.

"Doesn't look like Burgh liked station 2's cupcakes." Drew observed.

"I bet none of them will like station 7's muffins. They're all burnt!" Misty pointed out.

"I wouldn't mind having one of Harley's cookies..." May mumbled to herself.

"Oh, don't tell me." Paul looked at station 10 in disgust. "_Reggie_ actually entered too?!" His older brother had a triumphant smirk on his face as he proudly presented what looked like over-baked brownies. His teammates looked less confident.

"I think I see Daisy!" Gary said, referring to his older sister. Sure enough, she could be seen with a stack of neatly frosted cupcakes.

"Okay, the three of us have decided on a winning team!" Fantina proclaimed. Everyone waited eagerly while the judges allowed there to be a dramatic pause.

"And finally, the winner is..." Burgh gestured to a small group beside him.

"Station 6!" Roxanne declared. "Everyone, give it up for the Sensational Sisters!"

"Wait, what?!" Misty's voice was drowned by the thundering applause that followed. Stepping up were three girls, all of whom Misty knew very well: Daisy, Violet and Lily, her older sisters.

"I didn't know your sisters were in the contest too!" Ash said loudly as he clapped, trying to be heard over all the noise.

"I didn't know either!" Misty replied, breaking out of her dumbfounded state. "I didn't even know they could bake to begin with, let alone use an oven!"

But, apparently, it didn't matter whether she knew or not, because the three oldest Waterflower sisters were presented with first place ribbons by the judges who congratulated them on a job well done. And then came everyone's favourite part of the bake-off. Time to eat all those tasty goodies!

Ash and May were some of the first ones to rush to a station. They went to the Gourmet Chefs.

"Hi Brock!" Ash said, standing on his tippy-toes to succeed in peeking over the counter.

"Hey, Ash!" Brock said in return. Even though he had lost, he was smiling all the same. "I'm guessing you want a slice of our chocolate cake?"

"Yes! Thank you!" Ash eagerly stretched out to take the plate Brock handed to him.

"And maybe you too?" Brock turned to May, who was watching the cake hungrily.

"Yes please!" she chirped.

"Hello, May!" Cilan arrived at the scene. "You here for our cake?"

May nodded enthusiastically and was handed her slice.

"It feels great sharing our baking, like a refreshing drink after creating a well-blended smoothie!" Cilan remarked.

"Yeah." Brock nodded in agreement. "The kids are like the real judges! You can tell that you made something pretty good by the way they all rush to have your cooking."

"I can't believe we lost..." Chili murmured. "We made the best dessert! How did the judges not like it? It was the work of experts!"

"It wasn't because they didn't like it." Cress assured his brother. "It was just that they thought another team made a dessert that they found to be more delicious than ours."

"But still..."

Meanwhile, Misty was meeting up with her sisters.

"I didn't know you were entering." she said, frowning slightly.

"Like, duh we would." Lily said. "We, like, totally wanted to win this. It, like makes us more popular! Let's everyone know who the Sensational Sister, like, are."

"But we, like, couldn't ask you, Misty, because you're, like too young, and you're not even popular like us." Violet added in.

"Do you, like, want one of our cookies?" Daisy offered. Even though Misty was fuming at what Violet had said, she accepted her other sister's offer. The cookie wasn't bad. In fact, it was great! Misty had no idea her sisters could bake like that! Well, they'd do anything to be more popular.

"So, Drew, you planning on getting something to eat?" Solidad asked the green-haired boy. He flipped his fringe before replying.

"I think I'll go say hi to Cilan. And then I'll go see if there are any good cupcakes somewhere." When he arrived at the station, he greeted his buddy before noting May.

"How much cake are you eating, May?"

"This is only my second piece!" May said through a half-full mouth. "I'm gonna go see if Harley has any cookies left next. His cookies are usually pretty nice."

"Maybe I'll go see if he has cookies for me too."

"Hi Chili Pepper!" Gary appeared, waving mischievously at his red-haired buddy.

"Oh no, not you!" Chili moaned.

"Do you have any special treats for me?" Gary asked directly.

"Huh? No, not really. Why?"

Instead of answering, Gary just turned and began heading for his sister, no doubt to get his hands on one of her cupcakes.

"Um, bye?" Chili gave a small unsure wave.

While Gary pestered his sister, and May and Drew travelled to Harley's station to obtain some cookies from him, and Paul chided his brother for his miserably-failed attempt at baking doughnuts (turned out his creations weren't supposed to be burnt brownies, but burnt doughnuts. Evidently, Reggie was way off), Misty showed up at station 4 to join Ash and Brock.

"Hey!" said Brock. "Didn't I promise you two a treat?" He looked at both her and Ash.

"Yeah!" Ash cheered, punching the air.

"Well, here you two are! I kept these aside just for you." He held out two cookies, a Pichu-shaped one for Ash, and a Goldeen-shaped one for Misty. He had gotten the idea because Misty obviously loved water-types, and Ash frequently talked about a Pichu that lived on Professor Oak's ranch that he visited often. Needless to say, both were delighted.

The many people attending the event worked for hours, devouring every bite of all those baked goods... except for maybe the Rocket Duo's. But nonetheless, it really had been a successful bake-off!

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**Whew! Done!**

**Okay, everyone, I think I have pretty much broken my usual update-on-weekends schedule, but once a week is good enough for you guys, right? **

**Please review, and thanks for reading!**

**Bye bye for now! And have a smiling day! :)**


	34. Glasses

**Hello everyone! Okay, before I get to the chapter, I have a few things to say, so please bear with me! **

**It's December, which means I have winter break. So does this mean I'll get more time to write and update? Well, no. I'm going on vacation soon, so, I'll probably disappear off of until I come back. Meaning I won't be updating again until January. Sorry, guys, but you're going to have to be a bit patient for the next chapter.  
**

**Next thing, I'm trying something a bit different for this chapter. I'm switching the focus from characters included in the main-eight to someone else. Just thought it would be interesting to see how this works out.  
**

**Okay then! Happy Reading!**

**Today's topic was suggested by _Q__UEENSPELLER67_.**

**Disclaimer: I do not own Pokemon in any way, shape or size!**

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**Glasses  
**

**Grade Three  
**

**May (8), Dawn (8)**

**Kindergarten**

**Max (5), Bonnie (5), Tommy (5), Lyn (5)  
**

"Come on, Max!" May said, wanting her little brother to hurry up. But Max, who was busy reading a thick book in his hands, didn't increase his speed.

"Max!" May called out again.

"Yes, May?" Her five-year-old brother finally lifted his head to look at her through his large, black-framed glasses.

"You have to hurry up! It's your first day at kindergarten, so you can't be late. And after I take you to class, I have to go to grade three."

It was Max's first day at kindergarten, and May had proudly taken it upon herself to see that her little brother got to class. Since kindergarten started a few days after other grades, May had already begun grade three.

"Okay." Max nodded, and tucked his book under his arm.

"You can't get distracted." his big sister told him. "When you get there, you have to act nice, and proper, and - Oh hi Dawn!" May was distracted when a girl with blue hair passed by. Dawn was new that year, and she and May had gotten along perfectly on their first day. May had dubbed her her newest friend.

"Hi May!" Dawn walked up to her. "I was just going to class!"

"Yeah, me too!" May said, her brother forgotten.

"So you wanna go together?"

"Su-"

"_May!_" Max whined. "I have to go to class!"

"Oh, right!" May blushed. "Sorry Dawn. I have to drop Max off to his class first."

"No need to worry! I'll see you in class, then!"

"Yeah, see you!" May waved as Dawn walked away.

"Come _on_, May!" Max urged, pulling at her hand.

"Okay, okay! I'm coming! No need to be so rushed!"

The walked until they reached a room with bright decorations and pictures on the wall, and tables with four chairs at each. May smiled fondly as she entered her old class. Her smiled widened when she spotted the young woman who had been her teacher when she was in kindergarten.

"Come on, Max. I'll introduce you to Ms. Kelly!" She hurried him along, more because she was eager to say hi to her previous teacher rather than introduce her little brother.

"Hi, May! Wow, you've grown so much!" Ms. Kelly greeted her when she came into sight.

"You still remember me?"

"Of course I do! I love all of my students, and your little group with Drew, Gary and Paul was especially... memorable."

May beamed, but before she could say anything more, she felt a tug on her arm. She looked down to see a pouting Max.

"Oh!" May suddenly remembered the reason she was there in the first place. "Ms. Kelly, this is my little brother, Max, and he's starting kindergarten today."

"Hello, Max." Ms. Kelly bent down to his level. "I'm sure we'll have a great year together. My, that's such a big book you're carrying!"

Max looked at the book in his arms. "Yes." he said, nodding. "I can read it all by myself."

"All by yourself? Wow, that's impressive!"

Max suddenly felt proud of the fact that he could read like the big kids did. Not many five-year-olds could read like he could!

"Okay, May." Ms. Kelly stood up. "I can take it from here. You hurry along to your class."

"Okay! Bye Ms. Kelly! Bye Max!"

Max waved his sister goodbye as she went out the door, but once she was gone, he felt an anxious feeling creep up on him. He didn't have his parents or sister to turn to anymore. What was he supposed to do? He looked around to see how the other children in the class were noisily chatting, making friends, and playing, but still wasn't sure where he fit in.

"Why don't you go find a seat?" his teacher suggested. "I'll go greet some of the others, and once everyone is here, we'll all do something together as a class. Okay?"

"Okay." A seat would be nice. Maybe he could find a good place to read his book.

"You're a keeper!" He turned suddenly when he heard someone yell out in a loud, clear voice.

"Huh?" Ms. Kelly was looking very confused. A little blonde girl with blue eyes and a large clip in her hair was kneeling down in front of her, holding out her hand.

"Will you take care of my brother?"

"Bonnie, I told you to stop that! Oh, this is so embarrassing!" An older boy, who looked about May's age, was red in the face, trying to get Bonnie to get up and act normal.

"But Clemont, she's so nice and pretty!"

"Oh my..." Ms. Kelly watched with a bemused expression, as if unsure on how to respond.

"I'm so sorry!" Clemont apologized, blushing. "My sister, she's taken to watching princess movies lately, and she keeps doing this now!"

Ms. Kelly chuckled. "It's quite alright. Hello, Bonnie. Welcome to kindergarten! I'm Ms. Kelly, and I hope you and I will have a great year together!"

"Hi Ms. Kelly!" Bonnie said brightly, standing up straight.

"How about you find a seat, and we'll all get started once everyone is here."

"Okay!"

Max watched the whole scene, feeling glad _he_ didn't have an little sister. As he spotted an empty table, and began heading to it, he heard a cheery "Hi!" behind him. He turned around to come face to face to the large-eyed Bonnie.

"Hello." he replied, to which she gave a huge, toothy smile.

"We're going to be best friends now!" she proclaimed. Max blinked. Had he missed something? Or was this how you usually made friends?

"Okay." he said hesitantly.

"Wow, you have very big glasses!"

Her comment suddenly made Max feel self-conscious. Were his glasses really that big? No one had ever pointed it out before. He wasn't even sure if Bonnie was complimenting him or just stating an observation. Should he say thank you? He didn't get to decide because the next thing he knew, he was being dragged to a table.

"Whatcha wanna do?" Bonnie chirped.

"I'm going to read my book." Max declared.

"Wow, you can read? All by yourself?" The admiration in her voice ignited a sense of pride inside of the glasses-wearing boy, and he felt his ego swell within him.

"Yes." he confirmed. "It's _really_ hard, but I can do it!"

"That's so amazing! Wait, is it because you have glasses? Do your glasses give you reading powers?"

"Yes!" Max said without thinking. "They help me read extra-fast, but I can read without them, too."

"Wow! Show me! Read without your glasses!"

"I can't because I can't see without my glasses."

"Why?"

"I had to get glasses because I couldn't see, and then when I got them, I could suddenly read extra-fast."

"How could you read before if you couldn't see?"

"Um..." Thankfully, he was saved from having to answer because just then, the teacher spoke up.

"Okay everyone! Now that we are all here, how about we all gather together and introduce ourselves!"

Everyone took a seat on a large mat while Ms. Kelly stood before them. She explained what they were all going to do. Apparently, they had to go in front of the class and tell everyone about themselves, which sounded simple enough to Max. He had plenty of interesting things to say! How many of the others had a gym leader for a father? How many of them had a mother who could cook amazing meals every day? How many had a big kid sister in grade three? How many of them could _read_? Max was willing to bet he was the only one.

"Hi, my name is Bonnie! Nice to meet you" Max heard someone say. He looked up to see that the girl he had befriended was taking her turn to introduce herself. "I have a big brother in grade three, and his name is Clemont! He is soooo smart, and he's gonna be a gym leader when he grows up! And my dad is the coolest! And I love Pokemon, like really cute ones! And, um... oh! I made a new friend today, and he is super-smart too, and his glasses give him super powers!"

All of a sudden, Max found everyone's attention directed at him. While he was a bit annoyed that Bonnie had introduced him before he could himself, he also felt embarrassed. Bonnie pointing at him like that, and everyone staring at him... It just made him uncomfortable!

"What's him name?" someone asked Bonnie as if Max wasn't sitting right beside him.

"I don't know. I didn't ask him yet!"

"I know." Ms. Kelly said. "How about you go next, Max? If Bonnie's done, of course."

"Yup! I'm done!" Bonnie excitedly hurried back to her spot and eagerly waited for Max to go up.

When Max reached the front, some of his confidence had been lost. He had imagined himself walking up all by himself, then telling everyone about what he had planned to tell them, and then leaving them in awe. But Bonnie had spoiled it.

"My name is Max." he said without the self-assurance he had possessed just a while ago. "And, um, I have a big sister, and a mom, and a dad..." He suddenly remembered the impressive fact about his father. "And my dad's the gym leader! And I... I can read..."

"No you can't! It's too hard; you can't read!" someone yelled out, surprising him. Some others shouted their agreements, leaving Max standing at the front awkwardly. He hadn't expected that they wouldn't believe him...

"Yes, he can!" Bonnie backed him up. "I saw! And his glasses give him super-powers, so he can read extra-fast!"

"Bonnie? Glasses do not give super-powers. They only help someone see better." Ms. Kelly corrected, assuming her beliefs had been influenced by some movie.

"They don't?" Bonnie said in puzzlement. "But he said they did."

Max felt his face heat up, and he felt even more awkward. Ms. Kelly must have noted his discomfort, because she decided not to question him about it. Instead, she encouragingly told him to continue.

But Max couldn't continue. Everything he had wanted to say seemed to escape him. He could even find the words to say he was done!

"Um, uh, yes, I can read." he managed to get out. "And... um..."

"So you can only read because of your glasses?" someone asked.

"No, glasses don't give you powers! _I_ have them, and _I_ can't read!" someone else pointed out.

"_I_ can read." a smug voice rose up. "And _I_ don't have glasses." Max turned to the boy who had spoken, who had dark eyes and brown hair, and a quite cocky look on his face.

"You can?" Bonnie turned to him interestedly.

"Yeah." the boy said as he smirked, evidently bragging. "It's _easy_."

"But Max said it's hard."

"Yeah, but then that means I'm better at reading than him."

"No it doesn't!" Max spoke up. He felt angry that this boy was stealing his spotlight. It was his turn to talk right now!

"Oh yeah? Then what does C-A-T-C-H spell?"

"That's easy! Catch!"

"What about M-O-V-E?" The boy was sounded a bit irritated that Max got it correct.

"Move, like Pokemon moves!" Max answered with a much more confident demeanor.

"Then what about-"

"That's enough, Tommy." Ms. Kelly interrupted sternly. "You'll get to speak at your turn." She turned to Max. "Is there anything else you wanted to say?"

Max shook his head, and went back to his seat on the mat. As a girl went up next, he felt someone poke him on the shoulder. He turned to come face to face with Tommy.

"Hey Bug-Eyes!" he whispered. "I'm still smarter than you!"

His claim about being smarter was not what bothered Max. It was his first comment. By 'Bug-Eyes', was he referring to Max's glasses? Yes, they were kind of big, covering up most of his small face, and yes, they did magnify his eyes. But did it really make him look like a bug? Max began feeling self-conscious all over again, like the time Bonnie had mentioned how big they were before.

Finally, when everyone had had a chance to have something to say, their teacher told everyone to find a table, with only four allowed at each. At this, Bonnie immediately dragged Max to where they had been seated before.

"Hello!" A girl with orange eyes and a red ribbon in her teal hair arrived by their table. "Can I sit here?"

"Of course!" Bonnie agreed enthusiastically without hesitation. "I'm Bonnie! What's your name?"

"I'm Lyn." Lyn sat down, and the two girls began their chatter, becoming instant friends.

"There's an empty seat." Max heard Ms. Kelly say. She was pointing to the last chair at his table to a boy. And not just any boy. It was Tommy.

"There? I don't wanna sit with _him_." Tommy said, scowling petulantly at Max.

"Tommy." Ms. Kelly said sharply. "In kindergarten, we don't treat others like that. Or else you have a time-out!"

"Okay, okay." Tommy conceded, sitting down at the table.

"Good." The teacher then announced to the class that they were going to start today by drawing. She passed out paper and boxes of crayons to all her students, and everyone got to work, creating their works of art.

"That's a really nice picture!" Bonnie said to Lyn.

"Thanks! I'm drawing my big sister!" Lyn replied.

"Really? I'm drawing my big brother!"

"What are those big round things on his face?"

"His glasses. They're really big, like Max's!"

Tommy smirked, and Max saw that he was holding back a laugh. "Yeah. Max has _really_ big glasses! Bug-Eyes!"

"I am not a bug!" Max said angrily, unsure of how else to respond to his comment.

"Stop being mean, Tommy." Bonnie said, frowning. "It's not nice!"

Tommy shrugged, continuing his drawing. That made Bonnie curious.

"Whatcha making?"

"Torchic. It's a really cool Pokemon."

"Ooooo, I've never seen a Torchic before!"

"It's a fire type!" Max said, quick to fill her in. "My dad's friend, Professor Birch, will give it to you when you're ten. But I want a Treecko. It's much cooler."

"Treecko has really big eyes." Tommy said. "Like you."

"Stop it!" Max said loudly.

"Is there something wrong here?" Ms. Kelly had appeared.

"Tommy keeps saying I have big eyes like a bug!"

"Tattletale..."

"Tommy, it's not nice to say mean things! I have already told you this!" Ms. Kelly scolded. "Since it's the first day, I am going to give you one more chance. You have to apologize, or else I will give you a time-out!"

"Fine." Tommy said, folding his arms. To Max, he said, "Sorry." But after the teacher left, he stuck out his tongue at him.

* * *

Later, at snack time, Max, along with Bonnie, Tommy and Lyn, sat at his table, eating the sliced apples his mother had packed for him. He, being the observant boy he was, noticed how talkative and lively Bonnie was, as she seemed to be doing most of the talking in her conversation with Lyn. Lyn was also very bubbly, and she seemed to have a lot in common with Bonnie, as she kept agreeing to everything she was saying. Tommy, on the other hand, looked bored, kind of like he thought he was too smart for everyone.

When snack time ended, while putting his lunchbox away, Max hid his glasses in them too. It made his whole world look blurred, but he knew Tommy hadn't meant it when he had said sorry, and he didn't want him to make fun of him again.

"Where are your glasses?" Lyn asked.

"Yeah, you should put them on." Bonnie chimed in. "My brother can't see without his glasses. Sometimes, he thinks trees are people."

"It's okay, I can see." Max assured her, though it was far from the truth.

"You look so _weird_ without your glasses." That was Tommy, and his comment confused Max. Weird? He looked weird without his glasses? But... hadn't Tommy been saying he looked like he had bug-eyes before?

"Max, where are your glasses?" He turned at his teacher's voice.

"I, um, forgot them in my bag." he said quickly. "I'll go get them!" He hurried to his lunchbox and back, stumbling a bit as he went.

When he came back, his eyewear on his face and his vision cleared, he glanced anxiously at Tommy, expecting him to make some sort of mean remark.

"What?" Tommy said, noticing his watch.

"...Nothing." Max turned away.

"You look much better now!" Bonnie exclaimed. "I think glasses are so cool! I wish _I_ had glasses."

This surprised Max. Did Bonnie just say she thought he looked cool?

"I don't want glasses." Lyn said, disagreeing with Bonnie for the first time. "But they look nice on you, Max."

Max was filled with pride, and he felt his ego being revived. He stole one more glance at Tommy, who responded with an irritated "_What_?"

Max grinned. "Nothing." He had a lot more haughtiness in his voice now (though Tommy couldn't figure out why). He had won! He, Max, had been told he looked _cool_ in his glasses.

_Haha, take that Tommy! I'm not Bug-Eyes! _Max adjusted his eyewear so the lenses flashed light.

* * *

"Max! You're mother's here!" Max frowned as the teacher called him. He was really starting to like kindergarten, and now it was time to leave already!

"Bye Max!" Bonnie said in her perky voice. "See you tomorrow!"

"Bye Bonnie! Bye Lyn!" Max waved to the two. He hesitated. "Bye Tommy." he said in a duller voice. It was just to be fair.

"Hmph."

Max went to his mother. He really enjoyed kindergarten, he decided. He liked meeting the teacher and drawing and snack time and making friends and yes, he didn't mind Tommy so much either.

And off he went, flashing his glasses proudly, ready to tell his mother every detail of his day.

* * *

**And done! I've actually had this idea of having a Max-going-to-kindergarten chapter for a while. The topic was glasses, so I combined the two, and voila! **

**By the way, there is more than one character in Pokemon who goes by the name 'Tommy'. The one I'm referring to in this chapter appears in the episode '_Gonna Rule The School!_', which is the 15th episode from the Advanced Generation series. And Lyn is a character of the day who appeared in the Series XY, episode 16, '_A Jolting Switcheroo!_'. We don't really get to know too much about her in that episode, but I just thought she'd make a nice friend for Bonnie, like Tommy would be a good rival for Max.  
**

**So what did you guys think? Did you like giving someone else a little focus? Or do you think I should stick with writing about the main-eight? **

**Like I said, I'm going on vacation for the rest of December, so this is going to be my last update this year. So happy holidays, and see you all next year in January 2015!**

**Please review, and thanks for reading!**

**Bye bye for now! And have a smiling holiday! :D**


	35. The Unova and Kalos Starters

**Hello everyone! I'm back! Happy New Year to you all!  
**

**So, yes, this update is really late since I was on vacation. Hopefully, I can get you guys some more chapters soon, but I'm going to have to write them out first. And school's starting again next week...  
**

**Anyways, happy reading!**

**Today's topic was suggested by _QUEENSPELLER67_!**

**Disclaimer: I do not own Pokemon in any way, shape or size!**

* * *

**The Unova and Kalos Starters**

**Grade One**

**May (6), Ash (6), Drew (6), Paul (6), Gary (6)**

Both of the grade one classes were all gathered together in a classroom. They were going to have two special guests today, two professors from the faraway regions of Unova and Kalos, who were going to tell them about the regions and present them with the starters there. Naturally, everyone was thrilled, and the excitement led to ceaseless chatter.

"I wonder what Pokemon they're gonna show us!" May chirped to her friends. She was a lot more comfortable with Pokemon than used to be when she had been younger. She had gotten more used to them over time.

"They're probably really cool!" Gary exclaimed.

"You mean cooler than Squirtle, Bulbasaur and Charmander?" Ash said, looking at him.

"No way! No Pokemon is cooler than Squirtle!"

"I hope they're very cute." May said excitedly. "Right, Paul?"

"Hn." Paul wasn't really in the mood to talk at the moment.

"All Pokemon are very nice." Drew pointed out wisely.

"Okay everyone! They're here!" One of the teachers announced. She was the other class's teacher, so May did not know her name. The announcement only caused the students to erupt in a fresh outburst of noisy excitement, but they were all silenced by a stern look from Mrs. Thomas, May's teacher.

In came a man and a woman. The man had dark hair and a friendly smile, and the woman had brown hair and an enthusiastic expression.

"Hello!" she greeted everyone brightly. " I'm Professor Juniper. I study Pokemon in the Unova region, my research specializing in the origins of Pokemon. It's great to be here with all of you!"

"And I'm Professor Sycamore! I do study Pokemon in the Kalos region, focusing on specifically evolution."

"Professor Rowan studies evolution too!" Gary blurted out knowledgeably.

"Why yes!" Professor Sycamore confirmed. "In fact, I used to be a student of his. But recently, I've been studying a special kind of evolution."

"What do you mean?" Ash asked curiously.

"He means evolving with stones." a boy named Trip answered immediately. "That's _basic_." He smiled proudly. 'Basic' sounded like a grown-up word.

"Evolution by stones and certain items _is_ very interesting. But that's not what I mean. What I'm looking into is Mega Evolution!"

Whispers broke out, as everyone curiously contemplated what Mega Evolution could possibly be. They had never heard of such a thing.

Professor Juniper chuckled at this. "You seem to have gotten everyone's attention!"

"Hahaha! I suppose I should stick to the schedule."

"Wait, what is Mega Evolution?" Ash asked quickly.

"Now that I've brought it up, might as well tell you." Professor Sycamore said, although he seemed more than happy to. "Mega Evolution is a special kind of evolution, where a fully evolved Pokemon can transform even further into an even more powerful form with the use of special stones. Not only that, it can transform back into its original form as well. It's an amazing thing, and we still don't know much about it. And that is why I am working hard to unravel the mysteries of Mega Evolution!"

His explanation was met with many "Oooh!"s and "Ahh!"s. Professor Sycamore seemed pleased.

Professor Juniper then went on ahead to talk about the Unova region, telling everyone about what kind of place it was, the attractions and geography. Some of the kids shared their experiences from when they had visited the region, and some revealed that they were from there themselves.

Professor Sycamore talked about the Kalos region the same way. Like with Unova, there were some kids who had visited the region already, and a couple who used to live there. May was fascinated! She had no idea so many of her classmates were from so far away. She had just assumed they were from nearby cities, or from this city, like she was.

Finally, the two professors asked if there were any questions. Multiple hands shot up, surprising them. Professor Juniper picked Drew to ask his question first.

"When are we going to see the Pokemon?" he asked politely.

"We were planning to show you guys at the end. So just as soon as we answer everyone's questions. So, who's next?"

No hands went up this time.

"Wait, was that what everyone was going to ask?"

"That's what it looks like."

"So what do you say, Professor Sycamore? Shall we?"

"Of course! Who can deny these kids to meet our Pokemon?"

The students watched eagerly on, their eyes glued to the two in front of them as they pulled out three pokeballs each. There was a large flash of light as six Pokemon appeared.

"Can anyone tell me what Pokemon these are?" Professor Juniper asked as she gestured to the three she had let out.

"That's basic." Trip said, a touch of arrogance in his voice. "The cool green one is Snivy..."

"Sni-vy!"

"...the orange and black one on four legs is Tepig..."

"Pig! Tepig-te!"

"...and the blue one with the white head and the shell is Oshawott."

"Oshawott! Osha-wott-wott!"

"Very good! It certainly looks like you know about these three!" Trip swelled with pride at the praise.

"And what about these ones?" Professor Sycamore gestured to the ones he had brought. "Anyone know their names?"

At first no one offered an answer, until a shy girl at the back named Serena raised her hand, looking a bit surprised at her own daring.

"Yes?"

"Um, the brown and green one is Chespin..."

"Ches-chespin!"

"...and I think the cute yellow one with red fur in its ears is Fennekin..."

"Fennekin!"

"...and, um, the blue one is Froakie, maybe?"

"Froakie! Froakie!"

"Yes, you are absolutely correct!" Professor Sycamore said encouragingly, causing Serena to blush.

"Snivy here is a grass type, as is Chespin." Professor Juniper informed everyone.

"While both Tepig and Fennekin are fire types." Professor Sycamore continued.

"And last, but not least, are the water-types, Oshawott and Froakie. Now who wants to say hello?"

It started off with all the grade ones crowding around the Pokemon, making them noticeably uncomfortable. The teachers then arranged their students so that there was only a small group surrounding and petting each Pokemon in a much more gentle manner.

May admired the Pokemon from a distance. She might now be much more comfortable around them, but she was still wary. Professor Juniper noted this and decided to do something about it.

"Hello!" she said, walking up to her. "Why don't you join everyone else? They seem to be having a lot of fun, and the Pokemon are very friendly."

"No thank you." May said, smiling sweetly at her. "I'm just watching."

"Hmm... Do you want to come closer?"

May, not wanting to seem rude, obliged. She ended up petting Fennekin along with Serena.

"Wow, it's so soft and cute!" May commented. She was distracted when there was a commotion a short distance away.

"It's _my_ turn to look at Oshawott!"

"But it's cute! And you're not even petting it, so why can't I?"

"Because it's _my_ turn to look at it!"

Ash and Trip were arguing. It seemed Trip had been observing the water type Unova starter, when Ash had come over, and the interruption had angered Trip.

"What's going on here?" Mrs. Thomas arrived at the scene. Ash and Trip immediately began pointing fingers and blaming each other, their attempts to justify themselves becoming jumbled up as they spoke at the same time.

"Enough!" Mrs. Thomas got both of them to fall silent. "Now is this the way to act in front of our guests? Do you want to sit off to the side while everyone else gets to see the Pokemon?" she scolded.

"No." both boys mumbled.

"Good. Now I'm giving you two one more chance. Behave yourself!" After making the scowling boys apologize to each other, peace was restored... almost.

"Thanks a lot." Ash muttered to Trip moodily.

"How is it _my_ fault?" Trip quietly argued back. "_You_ started it."

A whisper-quarrel broke out, and with neither of them paying attention, they both accidentally bumped into Oshawott. Startled, the water Pokemon let out a blast of it's Water Gun attack, which was aimed nowhere in particular, but ended up hitting May, Serena and Fennekin.

"I'm all wet!" May cried out.

"No..." Serena began tearing up as she examined her now soaked and ruined dress.

Fennekin wasn't too happy either. The sudden, unexpected attack alarmed it, causing it to let out Ember. Chaos ensued, making the Pokemon panic and let out attacks while the children screamed and ran everywhere and the teachers tried to regain order. Finally, it was Professor Juniper who managed to settle everything down.

"Deerling, Aromatherapy!" she ordered, letting out a deer-like Pokemon. It complied, letting out a soothing scent, relaxing and calming everyone in the room.

"Thank you, Professor Juniper." Mrs. Thomas thanked gratefully. "Now what caused that to happen?"

No one spoke, Trip and Ash being the only ones who knew. And they wouldn't dare even trying to blame the other, as they knew both of them would get punished. As no culprit was found, the teachers and professors decided to try again, rearranging the class and Pokemon. Ash went over to where May and Serena were.

"Sorry, guys." he said guiltily. "That was my fault. Trip's too, but mine as well."

"It's okay." the two girls accepted his apology, and he beamed.

"Thanks! I'll go say sorry to Fennekin now!" And he went off to do just that.

After class was over, the professors left, leaving the students to discuss their experiences.

"I got hit with a Water Gun." May said a little glumly to her friends.

"Sorry..."

"It's okay."

"Those Pokemon were really cool!" Gary remarked. "Squirtle's much cooler, but these were really cool too!"

"They were all great." Drew chimed in.

"Hn." Paul had approved of them too.

"Fennekin was really cute!" May said. "And so was Chespin, and Tepig, and, um, the other Pokemon too!" She couldn't remember all of their names.

"Yeah! It would be awesome if we can do this again!" Ash said, excited at the very thought.

That was something they all agreed on, though May added in that it would be as long as she didn't end up getting wet.

* * *

**Done! Now I need to get started on the next chapter. See you guys on the next update!**

**Happy New Year, and please review, and thanks for reading!**

**Bye bye for now! Have a great day, and smile all the way! :)**


	36. That's The Christmas Spirit!

**Hello, all you wonderful readers! New chapter time! Sorry for the late update.  
**

**I've had this idea for a Christmas chapter for a long time. Like, the first month I started this fanfic. I was planning on posting it in December, and then I got guest reviews asking me to write one. If I had followed my list of suggestions, and had written a chapter a week, I would have posted this chapter the month I wanted to. But I overestimated my writing-time, and add that with the fact that I went on vacation, and that's the reason why I didn't end up posting this when I had planned to in December. But hey, better late than never, right?  
**

**Onwards with the chapter! Happy reading!**

**Disclaimer: I do not own Pokemon in any way, shape or size!**

* * *

**That's The Christmas Spirit!**

**Grade One**

**May (6), Drew (6), Gary (6), Ash (6), Leaf (6), Paul (6)**

May was excited. It was the day before Christmas, and she was having a small party inviting her best friends! Normally, her family had a bigger party inviting many family friends, but it seemed most of the people they knew had decided to go on vacation for the holidays. There was also the fact that her father had had to leave town for a meeting, but he was supposed to come back later today. In the meantime, she had invited her friends Drew, Paul, Ash, Gary, and Gary's best friend Leaf (whom she considered to be one of her best friends as well) over to her house.

"Is it time yet?" May asked.

"No, not yet. Be patient, dear, they'll be here in an hour or two." her mother, Caroline, answered.

"That's soooo long!" The little bandana-wearing girl stuck her hand into a large bowl filled to the top with her favourite Christmas-time treats.

"No more candy canes, May." her mother said disapprovingly.

"Okay! Last, then!" May answered, sucking on a peppermint one. She liked making the end pointy, but not too pointy, or else she might poke herself. She frowned slightly as her mother put the bowl of candy canes in the cabinet above the fridge. That meant she wouldn't be able to have anymore when her mother wasn't looking...

"Max wants!" Her three-year-old brother, having seen the candy being hidden away, pointed at the cabinet where the peppermint treats now resided.

"Not now, sweetie. You've already had one." Caroline was firm with her decision. A slightly disappointed Max walked off.

"Can I have some more candy canes for decorating the tree?" May asked hopefully. She had hung some on the branches of the large Christmas tree in the living room, which she, her mother, and Max had worked together to adorn with ornaments, tinsel and numerous other sparkly things. She may or may not have 'accidentally' eaten a few of the candy canes when no one was watching (at least, she didn't think anyone was).

"Sorry, honey, but no can do!" Her mother wasn't about to fall for that!

"Snow!" May went to where Max was standing, looking out of the window. He was right! Beautiful snowflakes were dancing down from the sky like crystals. There was already plenty of snow surrounding the area, but the fact that it was snowing made the whole day feel much more magical.

"Mommy, come look!" May exclaimed excitedly. "It's snowing a lot! This is the best day ever!"

"Yes, dear." But Caroline was worried. Earlier, she had been watching the weather report, and according to it, the fact that it was snowing wasn't a very good sign...

* * *

"Are you _sure_?"

"Of course, I am, young Master Andrew. The invitation card clearly said '3:30', not '2:00'."

Drew sighed. The green-haired boy had been invited to one of his best friend's house for a Christmas party, but he was finding it difficult to wait for so long. He was certain that if he asked enough, maybe his butler would tell him that the party was going to start soon, and they should leave. But so far, his theory hadn't been proven.

"Are you _completely_ sure?"

"Yes, Master Andrew."

"_Absolutely_ sure?"

"Young Master, if you wish for something to do, perhaps you could set the presents we picked for your friends by the front door. That way, when the time comes to leave, we will be able to leave much more quickly."

Drew's face lit up. "Okay!" He hurried to his bedroom, where he had insisted on keeping the Christmas presents for his friends, and picked up one of the boxes. It was quite large, but he knew he would be able to carry it all the way down the never-ending staircase to the front door. Sort of. Partway down, he stopped to sit on the stairs and catch his breath.

"Perhaps you would like me to carry it for you?" His butler had conveniently appeared at his side.

"Yes, please."

His butler proved to be a much stronger man with a lot more stamina than him, as he was able to carry all five of the presents downstairs without breaking a sweat. Drew was very impressed. He was a very efficient butler.

Drew admired the neatly wrapped presents proudly. He had gone shopping with his butler specifically for his five friends. He had wanted to get them the best gifts ever, so he had taken a long time searching and selecting. But he was satisfied with what he had ended up with. No, he was more than satisfied. He felt pleased to the maximum.

While he daydreamed of what his friends' reactions would be when they saw what he got them, his butler was quietly conversing with one of the maids.

"Are you sure?" he said, concern in his voice.

"Yes, I am! The weather reporter was saying that there might be a blizzard coming either later today, or tomorrow."

"But... the young Master..."

"Yes, he might have to skip going to that party. If the blizzard hits today, I doubt you'll be able to drive in that weather."

The butler looked over at the small, excited boy, his face grave at the thought of how he would react if he had to tell him he couldn't go.

* * *

"This is going to be so much fun!" Ash exclaimed excitedly. "All of us are going to May's house!"

"Of course it is!" Leaf agreed. "Right, Gary?"

"Yeah! Hey... I wonder if I'll get any presents."

"Gary! You don't say that!"

"But you're wondering it too!"

"But you're not supposed to say it!"

The three friends were all gathered at Gary's house. Since they all lived in the same neighbourhood, the plan was that they all go together. Professor Oak, Gary's grandpa, was going to drive, and Ash's mother, Delia, was planning on coming along too, just to see her son off at his friend's house. Gary's older sister Daisy, on the other hand, had decided to stay home since she had a bit of a cold, and didn't want it to get any worse before tomorrow.

"Okay, kids!" Professor Oak called for their attention. "Are you all ready? We'll be leaving soon!"

"Yeah!" the three cheered.

"Ash dear!" Delia called out to her son.

"Yeah, Mom?"

"Are you sure you're ready? Do you need to go to the washroom?"

"Mom!" Ash pouted, crossing his arms, looking embarrassed in front of his friends. "I don't need to go!"

"I've seen Leaf and Gary go, but you still haven't."

"I don't need to go, Mom!"

"Ah, leave the boy be, Delia. Come on, kids, I've gotten all the presents into the car, so now it's time for you guys to get in there too!"

Ash, Leaf and Gary excitedly rushed outside, followed by the two grown-ups. As they got into the car, Professor Oak stopped. It was snowing a bit harder than it had been a little while earlier. Delia seemed to notice it too, and she pulled her jacket more tightly around herself as a chilly wind passed by. Was it just them, or did it feel like it was getting colder?

* * *

"Gee, the bus is sure taking a long time!" Reggie, Paul's older brother, blabbered as they waited by the bus stop. "Do you think maybe it's because of the icy roads? I hope it comes soon, because, man, it's freezing! I mean, we've been waiting out here for so _long_!"

Paul rolled his eyes at his brother's impatience. It was at times like these when he questioned which one of them was the older brother. Not that he disagreed with what Reggie was saying; he had just learned that complaining never made the bus come any quicker.

Finally, headlights could be seen, and the large vehicle arrived, allowing them both to board it, and bask in its warmth. Paul's friend, May, was having a Christmas party at her house, and since Reggie didn't have a driver's license (or his car, for that matter), he had to take his little brother there by bus.

The two got seated, and Reggie placed a large bag, containing presents for Paul's friends, at their feet. They were mostly picked by Reggie, as Paul didn't enjoy shopping. But Paul had been forced to go along to give his opinion (which he did with blunt, honest remarks), and that made him feel like he had done most of the work.

"Okay, time to hit the road!" Reggie said out loud, getting a few stares from nearby passengers. Paul decided to distract himself from his embarrassment at his older brother's antics by looking out the window.

The snow was starting to really pick up. It was making it hard to see outside.

* * *

May stared out the window, a worried look on her face.

"Mommy," she said. "Should we make hot chocolate? There is a lot of snow outside, and when everyone comes, they'll be very cold."

Caroline looked out the window. The snow had really picked up, not to mention the winds had strengthened. It looked like a snow storm!

"Yes, why don't we?" her mother said, smiling. But she was feeling very anxious. She doubted her daughter's friends would want to come over in this kind of weather. She couldn't bear to tell her herself, so all she could do was await their phone calls telling them they couldn't come. So far, they hadn't received any yet, but May would be crushed once they did.

The phone rang at that moment, and Caroline quickly went to pick it up. "Hello?"

May curiously directed her attention to her mother.

"Oh, Norman! How are you?... What is it?... Oh dear... No, no, I understand. I'm sure May will too... Okay then, dear, take care!... Yes, love you too. Bye!"

"Was that Daddy?" May questioned when her mother hung up.

"Yes, sweetie. May, Daddy says the weather is very bad, so they had to cancel his flight for today. He'll have to come another time."

"At night?"

"Well, no. The weather is really bad for the plane, so he's not going to be able to come today at all. Maybe tomorrow, okay?"

"B-but Daddy said he'll come for Christmas! He promised! That's why I told him he could go!"

"I'm so sorry, but he won't be able to come today. There are just some things we can't control."

"But-!"

"May, how about we make use of this extra time? He might be able to come tomorrow, so maybe we can make a cake for him before he does. Does that sound nice?"

"Okay..." May reluctantly agreed. A cake did sound nice (especially since she would probably get to lick the bowl), but she had thought her daddy was going to arrive today.

A horrifying thought occurred to her. If her father couldn't come, then what if... what if her friends couldn't come either? Her plans for the party would be ruined! No, that wouldn't happen! Her mother had said the weather was bad for _planes_, not cars. All she needed to do was wait a while longer. They would come. She knew they would.

* * *

"What?!" Drew stared at his butler, horrified.

"I'm sorry, young Master, but you simply can not go out in this weather. They were saying on the news that it will be getting worse, and it's turning into a full blizzard out there."

"But I'll be inside the house!"

"It is difficult to drive in this sort of weather."

"She doesn't live that far away!"

"I'm sorry, but it is very difficult and dangerous to drive in icy conditions. All the snow hasn't even been removed from the roads yet."

"You're being mean!"

"No, young Master, I am worrying about your safety."

"But you can drive really good!"

"I can't always. And not when it is like this outside."

"I promised May I would come! I pinky-promised!"

"There is nothing I can do."

"You can drive."

His butler just sighed, shaking his head. He knew there was no point in arguing. As he began walking away, he was held back by the little green-haired boy who had grabbed his sleeve.

"Please?" he pleaded, his green eyes filled with desperation.

"I will go call your friend and inform her you won't be able to make it." the butler said stiffly.

"No! You can't do that!" Drew yelled, panicking. "I _can_ come! You can drive me!"

The butler really didn't like upsetting Drew. He was slowly beginning to falter under his gaze.

"Can you try?" Drew asked one last time.

"...Fine." he finally conceded. "But if it doesn't look like I can keep driving, we will head back, okay? No matter how much you argue."

"Okay." Drew said in the politest voice he could as he beamed. His butler had finally given in! He made up his mind that he would be on his best behaviour the whole time so he wouldn't suddenly change his mind.

When they stepped outside, Drew could immediately see what his butler had been talking about. It was as if someone dropped a bucket of snow on them, and the young boy was convinced that if he let go of his butler's sleeve, he would be blown away by the wind.

However, he wasn't about to back off. He could handle this! He was going to that party no matter what! That's what he kept telling himself as they got into the car and started the engine.

* * *

"Whew! Looks like the storm is really getting worse!" Professor Oak commented as he drove on.

"It is. Let's hope we get there before it gets too bad." Delia agreed.

In the back seats, Gary, Leaf and Ash were chattering away. Or rather, arguing. It had begun something like this:

"I spy with my little eye, something that is white!" Leaf said, grinning.

"The snow?"

"Nope!"

"That snowflake on the window?"

"Nope!"

After a few more guesses, both boys gave up.

"It's that snowflake on the window!"

"I said that!" Gary argued.

"No. You said _that_ snowflake. The snowflake I saw is _this_ one."

"That's not fair!"

"Yes it is!"

"Isn't"

"Is!"

"Isn't!"

"Is!"

"Um, Mom?" Ash had spoken up, and he was addressing his mother nervously.

"What is it, dear?" All eyes were on him, making him feel even more uncomfortable.

"I... um..."

"What's wrong, Ash?"

"I... I need to go."

"Go where?" Leaf questioned, cocking her head.

"I need to _go_." Ash tried to specify.

"Oh, I get it!" Gary smirked. "Ashy-boy needs to go pee!" The black-haired boy scowled at his friend.

"Ash," Delia scolded. "I told you to go before we left!"

"I didn't have to go then, but I need to now!" Ash justified. He was already embarrassed as it was. He did not need his mother lecturing him at the moment. And if he didn't go soon...

His mother sighed. "Can you hold it?"

"Maybe... no. I _really_ have to go!"

"It doesn't look like there are many places around here." Professor Oak said, looking around. "There are some houses, though. We could knock at one of them, and see if they'll let us use the washroom."

"Do we have to?" Ash said, sulkily. He didn't want to go up to a random stranger and ask them if he could use their bathroom.

"There isn't anything else we can do, Ash." his mother said. "Either you hold it, or we go to someone's house."

"I can't hold it..."

"Then there is no choice."

While they were parking the car, Gary leaned over Leaf (who was sitting between them to separate them, as they didn't get along all the time) to Ash, and began whispering.

"Hey Ash."

"Yeah?"

"Waterfall! Water fountains!"

"Stop it, Gary!" Ash hissed, his face scrunching up as he began looking even more pained.

"Yeah, stop it!" Leaf said angrily. "I'm sitting right beside him!"

"Fine." Gary huffed, straightening out. "Ruining all my fun..."

"You know, maybe it's a good idea if you all use the washroom." Delia suggested as they started getting off. "Just in case." Leaf and Gary groaned, feeling that Ash had dragged them into this.

They rang the doorbell of the house they had gone up to, and a woman answered. But to Gary, she was a familiar woman.

"Ms. Kelly!" Gary exclaimed. "What are you doing here?"

The young woman blinked. "Gary?"

"Oh, what a coincidence, Ms. Kelly!" Professor Oak said joyfully. "The house we go to is the house that belongs to you!"

"Oh... Hello, then." Ms. Kelly said, still a bit bewildered by the sudden appearance.

"Ah, Delia! This is Ms. Kelly, Gary's last year kindergarten teacher." Professor Oak introduced. "Ms. Kelly, this is Delia, an old friend of mine."

"Pleasure to meet you, Delia."

"Same to you!"

"Hi, I'm Leaf!" Leaf introduced herself as well. She had heard about Ms. Kelly from Gary.

"Um, Mom?" Ash was fidgeting incessantly.

"Oh, right! Ms. Kelly, the reason we came was because Ash here needed to use the washroom." Professor Oak explained. "I know this is awkward, but-"

"Yes, of course! Come right on in!" Ms. Kelly stepped aside understandingly, allowing them to enter. She quickly led Ash to the washroom. She was pretty good at handling little kids, with all that experience she gained from being a kindergarten teacher.

Later, after Ash, Leaf and Gary had all gone, they said their thanks and were about to be on their way. But when Professor Oak opened the front door, his eyes widened.

"Oh no..." The walkway had been completely replaced by snow that went over knee-length. But even worse was the fact that his car was almost completely submerged in snow. It was surrounded at all sides by over three feet of snow, and it was as if someone had put a thick, white blanket over it. The others walked over to see what he was looking at, and had the same reaction. It didn't look like the snow storm was going to let them dig the car out either...

"Well," Ms. Kelly said finally. "Looks like we're all snowed in."

* * *

"So, after searching for her for about an hour, I finally found her! And I said, 'Hey, Maylene, you dropped this.' And she was all like, 'Oh, thanks Reggie! Good thing you noticed, because this is important!' So I asked, 'What is it?' And then, she suddenly just handed it to me! Turned out it was a birthday present for me! Hahahaha! Funny how that sort of stuff happens, am I right?"

Paul groaned. The bus was moving very slowly, which was the result of the icy roads. And Reggie was starting to get bored, which, to Paul, was a bad sign, because his teenage brother would resort to doing multiple annoying things when he was bored. Sometimes, he would annoy Paul, or call his friend Maylene and loudly talk to her on the phone in the same room Paul would be trying to watch a Pokemon battle on TV, and many other things like that.

This time, Reggie had decided to prattle on and on about who knows what to a man who was sitting in the seat in front of him. Paul was wondering why he wouldn't just stop, but apparently, he was ignorant to the man's growing vexation.

Suddenly, the bus jerked as the driver hit the break. Instead of stopping, though, the bus kept moving. In an attempt to gain control, the driver tried to turn the wheel, but the bus ended up going off the road into a mound of snow, stopping abruptly, causing the whole vehicle to lurch.

Reggie had finally ceased his jabber to see what was going on. "Whoa," he whispered in shock. "You okay, Paul?"

Paul nodded slowly, trying to get over the sudden jolt. He heard the noise of the wheels turning, like maybe the driver was trying to reverse, but the bus didn't budge. As he tried over and over again, the bus driver said something very loudly in anger, though Paul didn't know what it meant. Finally, he threw his hands up in defeat.

"That's it!" he said in frustration. "I can't get us out. We're stuck here."

"Shouldn't we call someone?" someone suggested.

"That's what I'm doing!" the driver snapped as he lifted his phone to his ear. After talking to someone on the other side, he turned it off. "They said it'll take a few hours before they get here."

Everyone groaned.

"I'm supposed to be at a Christmas dinner!" someone complained.

"My family's probably going to be worrying where I am!" said another.

"I don't want to waste my time stuck here!"

"I have some important things I need to do! I can't stay here for so long!"

"Everybody, be quiet!" the driver snapped. "Do you think I like this any more than you guys do? All I wanted to do was spend the holidays with my family, but I can't even do that! You guys think it's bad being stuck in a bus for only a few hours? I'm stuck here all day! So be quiet and wait! There's nothing else I can do!"

That got everyone to fall silent. Even Reggie's face had turned into his serious one, reminding Paul that the teen was the big brother after all, even though he acted immature sometimes. The bus, now filled with people who felt sour at the whole situation, waited for help to arrive.

* * *

"They still aren't here." May said, clearly upset. It was 4:15 now, and no one had arrived yet. They were very late, and May's disappointment was growing. She had waited for the party for so long!

"I know, sweetie. Maybe they couldn't come because of the weather." Caroline tried to soothe her daughter. But she herself was wondering why no one had called to tell them they couldn't come yet. Was it possible they were coming, even in these conditions?

Max had fallen asleep. The little three-year-old boy had become tired of staring out the window, and had dozed off on the couch. May wondered how he could be at so much peace. The party might have been cancelled, and yet, it didn't bother him in the slightest. This was a crisis here! How could he not be unhappy?!

Suddenly the lights flickered, and everything fell dark. May let out a small shout of surprise. "Mommy? Mommy, where are you?"

"Here, May." May felt her mother's hand on her shoulder. "Oh dear, looks like we've blown a fuse. Or maybe the storm has something to do with it. Wait here, May. I'll bring some candles and matches."

May waited quietly while her mother came back, holding a flashlight and a few lit candles, which she placed on the coffee table.

"Well," Caroline said, sighing. "I didn't expect that. Guess we'll have to wait until the lights come back."

May didn't answer. There was a sniff, and Caroline understood why. She turned to her daughter, whose face could be seen by candlelight. Her eyes were watery, and tears were streaming down her face.

"Oh, sweetie!" Caroline wrapped her arms around her daughter in a comforting hug. "What's wrong?"

"Everything!" May sobbed. "No one wants to come to my party, and not even the lights wanted to stay!"

"Everything will be alright." her mother crooned.

"Max doesn't even want to wait with me, and Daddy's not even coming home!"

"Everything will turn out alright, May." her mother repeated. "We just need to wait. These kinds of things happen, but you just have to wait, and they'll get better. You'll see."

Her daughter continued weeping in her arms, consumed with disappointment and loneliness, even though her mother was still there.

"May," Caroline spoke up. "It's Christmas Eve. We all have to be happy at Christmas time, right? Come now; cheer up! Christmas is a time for joy, and hope that things will get better. They will, May. You just have to be patient. Can you be patient, May? For me?"

May gasped as she tried to stop her sobs. She looked at her mother's face with teary eyes and nodded, forcing herself to give a tiny smile.

"That's a good girl. Now do you want me to bring you some hot chocolate? It's probably a little cold now, but it's still chocolatey!"

May's smile became a little wider, and she nodded again.

* * *

Drew shivered. The heat in the car was on, so it was warm, but to Drew, it wasn't warm enough. His butler was sitting behind the steering wheel, driving. Or at least, he was supposed to be driving.

There was a huge traffic jam. From the looks of it, there had been a huge car accident up ahead, and the road was now completely occupied by cars and trucks. That and the fact that there was a blizzard going on wasn't making it any easier. No one could move on ahead, and everyone was moving so slowly, it was as if they weren't even moving at all. Drew's butler was feeling extremely irritated at the moment. He couldn't even drive back to Drew's house.

Drew, to make it as easy as possible for the man, was refraining from asking how much longer it would take. He felt a bit guilty, because if it weren't for him, they wouldn't be in this mess. Maybe his butler was right. Maybe they should have stayed home, and just called May to tell her they couldn't come.

"Well, young Master," the butler said suddenly, breaking the silence. "It doesn't look like we'll be reaching your friend's house anytime soon. It will likely be nighttime before we do, not that it's any brighter outside right now."

"Should we call her and tell her we can't come?"

"Hmm... Yes, perhaps we should." He took out his cell phone and searched for a number in his contacts list. Once he found May's, he pressed the 'call' button, and held the phone to his ear. However, when no one picked up, he frowned and tried again, but still with no avail.

"No one's picking up on their home number..." he muttered as he tried once more.

"Maybe they can't hear the phone ring."

"Maybe. I'll leave a message." After he left a message, the car was silent once more. And then, finally, Drew couldn't take it anymore.

"I'm tired." Drew stated, trying his best not to sound whiny. "I'm sorry. I should have listened to you. I don't like today."

"Well, perhaps you should try to realize that maybe it's not only you for whom the day is not going too well."

"Huh?"

"Look around. There is a huge line up of cars stuck in the same situation as us. Inside each of those cars is at least one person. Do you think any of them is enjoying today?"

"N-no."

"Everyone is having a hard time right now, Master Andrew. Not only you. And maybe not all of them are as comfortable in their car as you. And maybe some were in a hurry to do something very important, not just go to a party to have fun."

"I guess."

"And now, think about the people who were in the car accident up ahead. What if someone got very hurt? At least you are safe and healthy right now."

"Yes..."

"And now, think about the people trying to help them, the police and doctors. They probably want to spend Christmas with their families, but they can't, because someone got hurt, and they have to help them."

"Oh..." Drew was speechless. He had never thought about all that. All his life, it seemed he was the only one who really had any kind of problems at all. But now, he could suddenly see so many people around him, each with his/her own troubles to face.

His butler sighed, and his voice switched from his usual stiff one, to a much more gentler one. "I'm sorry, young Master. I should probably take note that maybe I shouldn't burden you with these thoughts, especially with you at such a young age."

Drew shook his head. "No. Thank you for telling me."

A thought suddenly occurred to the young boy, causing him to address his butler. "What about you? Do you have a family you want to visit?"

The butler gave him small, rough smile. "Well, my wife and daughter live far away in the Unova region. I don't see them very often."

"Do you want to?"

"Everyone wants to see their family."

"Why don't you go see them, then?"

"Because, young Master, my job is to be a butler for the Hayden family so I can earn the money to support them. I have responsibilities here that I just can't leave."

"Yes you can. You can take a day off, 'cause there are lots of butlers and maids at our house. They can do the work."

"But, Master Andrew, my job is to specifically take care of you."

"Me?"

"Yes. Think about it. If I were to leave, who would drive you to school? Who would make sure you have everything you need? Who would make sure you have no troubles? The other butlers all have their own specific tasks in your household, and your nanny has other responsibilities she must get through too, besides taking care of you. By leaving, I'll be leaving you."

Perhaps before his butler had pointed out to Drew that he should think of others as well, this would have been a quite horrifying thought for the boy. But now, all he could think about was how the man must miss his family, and how his family must miss him.

"But... what about your family? You still miss them."

"I do. But I have an excellent young Master whom I would also miss very much if I had to go away."

Suddenly, something dawned in the mind of a green-haired boy. This man, his butler, he had given up something precious to him to look after Drew. And despite that, he still felt Drew was special to him. And, Drew realized, he felt the same way. The man before him was not just a servant, but a friend. When Drew had first gone to kindergarten, making friends was his primary goal, but now, thinking back, he had always had a very special friend living within the same house.

And Drew felt thankful for him. This wasn't the kind of thankful that was forced out of you during Thanksgiving, but an actual, genuine thankfulness. The feeling was enough to let two, sincere words leave the boy's lips.

"Thank you."

* * *

"Oh dear," Ms. Kelly muttered. She and Professor Oak were watching the news to stay updated on the weather forecast and to see whether the snow storm would end soon or not, while Delia was making phone calls to Daisy, Leaf's parents, and May's mother.

"What is it?" Delia asked as she walked into the room, apparently having finished using the phone.

"Looks like the blizzard is going to continue on for a while longer. It may leave this city eventually, but we have no idea when." Professor Oak filled her in.

"Not only that, it seems it has caused a blackout in a part of the city." Ms. Kelly continued. "Those poor people who have to put up with that would probably have to go without heat!"

"That's terrible!" Delia exclaimed anxiously.

"So, did you call everyone and let them know of our predicament?" Professor Oak asked.

"Well, I called Daisy, and she says she's fine. And I've let Leaf's parents know too, and while they are worried, they're saying that as long as she's with us and is warm and safe, it'll probably be okay." She frowned. "But... when I called Caroline's house, no one's picking up!"

"Really?"

"Let's hope they're okay." Ms. Kelly said quietly. "I'm not sure where they live, but I'm getting a hunch they've been hit by the blackout." The three of them exchanged worried glances.

Meanwhile, the three youngsters were facing even greater problems.

"Grandpa!" Gary yelled. "Ash ate my cookie!"

"No I didn't! It was mine!"

"Then where did mine go?"

"Leaf ate it!"

"No, I didn't!"

"Leaf, did you eat my cookie?"

"I already have my cookie! Why would I eat yours?"

"Yeah, Ash, why would she eat it? You ate it!"

"I didn't! I saw her!"

"Grandpa!"

"Mom!"

The grownups sighed, and went to see what the commotion was about. "What's going on here?"

"Ash ate my cookie! He always eats everything!"

"I did _not_ eat it! And I don't eat _everything_, just a lot of things!"

"Ash, did you eat Gary's cookie?" Delia asked sternly.

"No, Mom, really!"

"Do you know who did?"

"Leaf! I saw her!"

"Leaf, did you eat Gary's cookie?" Professor Oak asked this time.

"...Maybe."

He sighed. "Problem solved. Gary, apologize to Ash for blaming him for eating your cookie. Leaf, apologize to Gary for eating his cookie and having Ash blamed for it."

"And Ash, you apologize too." Delia put in.

"What?! Why me?"

"Apologize to Gary for yelling and fighting with him. And also, apologize to Ms. Kelly for yelling and having a bad attitude in her house when she was so nice as to give you three cookies."

"Good point, Delia. Leaf, Gary, you have to apologize to Ms. Kelly as well."

The three mumbled their apologies to the kindergarten teacher, feeling all of this was unfair. But they glowered at one another, having too much pride to say sorry.

"I'm not hearing any sorrys!" Delia said, raising an eyebrow at the three. The kids had to swallow their egos and force a sorry out of their mouths for one another. They scowled sourly afterwards.

"Very good."

"You know, I can see why they would be fighting right now." Ms. Kelly said.

"Oh, they're always doing this." Professor Oak explained. "You know, children and their little troubles!"

"It could be that. But it could also simply be that they are all bored." Ms. Kelly smiled apologetically. "I'm sorry I don't have many interesting things to do here."

"Oh, no, it's no problem at all!" Professor Oak said quickly. "We are all very thankful you're letting us stay here. Wouldn't want to be stuck in the car in that weather, now would we?"

"You're all very welcome. But I doubt the kids are having a lot of fun, no matter how thankful they are."

"True..."

"Can we watch TV, Ms. Kelly?" Gary asked. "And not some boring news?"

"Gary!" his grandpa scolded. Ms. Kelly laughed.

"Well, at the moment, we need to use the television to stay updated on the weather. But how about you three do something else? Something fun together!"

"Like what?" Leaf inquired.

"Gary always ruins my fun when we play together." Ash said sulkily.

"What you can play is... Tell Me A Story!"

"You... want us to tell you a story?"

"No no, that's just the name of the game. It's called, Tell Me A Story!"

"I've never heard of that game..."

"Me neither."

"How do you play it?"

"Oh, the reason none of you have heard of it is because I made it up! Well, actually my friends and I did when we were little. But since it's made up, not everyone knows of it, of course."

"This sounds interesting." Professor Oak commented.

"Oh, little kids always have such great imaginations!" Delia gushed.

"How do you play it?" Leaf asked again.

"Oh, it's very simple! One person says a topic, and then chooses another person to say something, like a small story, about it. It has to be related to one of their own experiences, and if they don't have one with that topic, they can either tell a story that happened with someone else, or just give their own opinion on it."

"I'm confused." Ash said, and his puzzled expression made it clear that he was not making that up.

"How about I give you guys an example? Say a topic to me."

"Cookies!" Gary blurted out the first thing that popped up into his head.

"Okay, cookies? Let's see..." She thought for a minute, before snapping her fingers. "Ah ha! I remember a cookie story! When I was little, I always loved those cookies with the cream in them. However, my mother would say that they are unhealthy, so I wouldn't get to eat them too often.

"One day, when I was starting grade three, the new girl in my class brought the very cookies I loved! So I sat beside her, hoping she would share. But she didn't offer me any, so I decided to start a conversation, so halfway through, I would be able to casually direct her attention to her cookies and get her to share them with me. But when we did start to talk, I became so interested in just chatting with her, that I forgot all about the reason I had started to talk to her in the first place!

"After that, I found that she was a very nice girl. We started doing everything together, and became best friends! All because of the fact that I was trying to get some of her cookies! And we're still friends. In fact, I'm renting this very house with her, until each of us finds a nice house to buy."

"Really? Your friend is staying in this house as well?" Professor Oak wanted to clarify.

"That's funny," said Delia. "I didn't see her anywhere around here."

"Oh, she went to visit her family for the holidays. She's not going to be in this house for another week or two."

"But what about you, Ms. Kelly?" Gary questioned suddenly, his expression unusually serious. "Aren't you going to be all alone for Christmas?"

"Oh, don't worry about me!" she insisted airily. "I may love being around children, but those huge Christmas dinner parties, well, they just aren't for me. Trust me, I'm completely fine with being alone."

"But won't you get lonely?" Ash asked worriedly.

"Oh no, not at all! My neighbours are all very nice people. They are always kind enough to stop by to say hello on Christmas if they can."

"But... Ms. Kelly..."

"Oh, don't worry, don't worry! Do you guys want to play the game?" The children agreed, and began playing.

After a while, at one point in the game, Leaf announced that the topic was TV, and selected Gary to say something about it. He looked as if he were about to, but then he stopped, and started to think. After a while, with a much more solemn face, he spoke.

"There was a teacher who used to be my kindergarten teacher. I went to her house, and she had a TV, but she, Ash's mom, and Grandpa kept using it for news. Then she stopped watching TV, and told us that she was all alone for Christmas. It made me sad. The end."

"Oh..." Ash rubbed the back of his head when his friend had concluded. He looked unsure of what to say, but his eyes reflected what he was thinking. He felt sorry for the nice lady who had let them stay in her house.

"Poor Ms. Kelly..." Leaf muttered, her eyes downcast.

The grownups, who had been listening to the three's stories, were stunned. Did that little spiky-haired six-year-old boy really say that? And _Gary_ of all people! Ms. Kelly slowly got up, and walked over to sit with them.

"Kids, please don't feel bad for me." she said with a smile. "It's really not a big deal. Usually, for Christmas, some of the neighbours invite me over for a while, and I talk to friends and family over Skype. So I'm not alone. Really."

"And right now," Ash said, his face lighting up, "you have us!"

"Yes! We'll spend Christmas with you!" Leaf joined in.

"Yeah!" Gary cheered. "We're stuck here anyways!"

"You three are _so_ sweet!" Ms. Kelly's smile took over her whole face, and she gave the three a big hug.

Suddenly, the ringing of the bell caught everyone's attention. Everyone looked at one another in confusion.

"Who would be out in this weather?" Delia wondered aloud, and she wasn't the only one thinking along that line. Ms. Kelly got up to answer the door. When she opened it, she found a friendly-looking man standing there. Her face shone with recognition.

"Oh, hello, Mr. Wilson! So very nice to see you! What are you doing outside in the blizzard?"

"The blizzard?" He gave a jolly laugh. "Oh, the weather's much better now. See for yourself!"

Professor Oak, Delia, as well as Ash, Leaf and Gary, were curious as to what he was talking about, and came to see as well. Their eyes widened. The blizzard had slowed down to a flurry! Now when had that happened? How had it suddenly changed so suddenly and so drastically?

"Well, I guess we should have been paying more attention to the news instead of being distracted by the kids' game!" Professor Oak chuckled. The grownups had become so interested in the stories the kids were telling, they had neglected staying updated on the conditions outside.

"Oh, you have guests over, Ms. Kelly?"

"Sort of. Everyone, this is my neighbour, Mr. Wilson. Mr. Wilson, these are Professor Oak, his grandson Gary, Delia, her son Ash, and their friend Leaf. They were stopping by for something, but then the snow storm became worse, and buried their car with snow. They've been staying with me for the past hours."

"That your guys' car?" Mr. Wilson pointed to it, which could barely be seen under the layers of snow covering it. When they answered in the affirmative, he continued. "Not to worry, not to worry! I have quite a few shovels, and my sons and I can help you dig it out!"

They got to work, digging out the car, working hard together. When the car was finally snow-free, Professor Oak and Delia gave their thanks.

"No problem at all! Glad to help!"

"What's wrong?" Delia asked, looking at the kids' expressions. "We got the car out. We can go see May now."

"But... we were going to keep Ms. Kelly company..." Ash murmured.

"That reminds me!" Mr. Wilson spoke up. "Ms. Kelly, I came to check on you to see if you'd been fine during the storm, but I also wanted to see if you wanted to come over and have dinner with us. My wife was especially saying that she wants to invite you!"

"Oh, that's very nice! Thank you very much. I'll be having dinner with you and your family then!" Ms. Kelly turned to the children. "See? I won't be alone. You go and enjoy yourselves at May's, alright?"

"Okay!" Looked like everyone was happy here!

* * *

"Cold?" Reggie smiled at his younger brother as he shivered.

"Not much." Paul answered, his teeth chattering. Reggie chuckled quietly and moved closer to him, which the younger boy, under normal circumstances, would not have appreciated. But as it made him a little warmer, he didn't protest.

"Aw, come on, Paulie! Don't look so miserable. At least _try_ to smile." Reggie urged. Paul just rolled his eyes. Smile? Now? When they were freezing in a bus that was stuck in a pile of snow on the roadside? Yeah right.

"Oooh. I think I know why you're feeling like this." Reggie whispered in his ear. "It's because of everyone else, right? It's kinda hard to feel happy when everyone around you is all moody and grumpy, huh?" Paul pretended he wasn't listening and continued staring out the window, in hopes that Reggie would stop talking. It may be gloomy in the bus, but Paul felt he preferred the silence.

Reggie leaned back on his seat. For a moment, Paul thought he was actually going to leave him alone for once. But that was before he started humming. Paul recognized the tune as the tune from 'Jingle Bells'.

Paul felt a feeling of embarrassment wash over him, as the surrounding passengers shot his older brother irritated looks that clearly meant, 'Be quiet!' But Reggie ignored it all. To Paul's horror, he abandoned the humming, and went right on to _singing_ in a loud, clear voice that filled the air.

"Dashing through the snow  
In a one-horse open sleigh  
Over the hills we go  
Laughing all the way!"

Paul closed his eyes, but that didn't stop him from sensing everyone's glares that were directed at them. Why in the world did Reggie have to go back to acting like his immature self again?! Especially _now_ of all times?!

"OH! Jingle bells, jingle bells, jingle all the way!  
Oh what fun it is to ride  
On a one-horse open sleigh!"

Paul was astonished when he heard another voice joining his brother. It took him to a moment to find out that its owner was the man sitting in front of them, the same man whom Reggie had been annoying with his pathetic prattling earlier. And he wasn't the only new singer. After a minute, the bus driver joined in, and then an elderly lady, followed by a cranky-looking woman, and soon the rest of the bus.

"TIS THE SEASON TO BE JOLLY!" Reggie bellowed at the top of his lungs as they switched songs. Paul stared in shock. What in the world was going on?! Reggie's singing had had a strange effect on everyone. It was as if the whole bus's mood had been altered, and shifted to a jolly, cheerful one, and Reggie had done it within minutes! Paul could never understand how his brother could keep smiling in situations such as their current one, but now, he was also wondering how he could get everyone else around him to smile as well.

When they began singing 'Rudolph the Red-Nosed Stantler', Paul decided to let it slide. It was strange. He felt a warm energy was slowly creeping into him, one he couldn't quite explain. And it felt like a good thing. His lips were bordering on a smile as he found himself quietly humming along.

They all barely even noticed when help, which they had all been impatiently waiting so long for, finally arrived.

* * *

May sipped her chocolatey drink from a mug. She snuggled deeper into the thick blanket that was wrapped around her to warm up, and edged closer to the fireplace.

Max, whom Caroline had covered with a warm blanket, was still asleep, and had no idea of their current blackout. May, on the other hand, was fully aware of it, but it wasn't bothering her as much as before. She and her mother were sitting side-by-side, enjoying no-longer-hot chocolate and candy canes, which her mother had decided to bring out again. Sugary sweets were one way to improve May's mood, after all.

A quiet whimpering caught their attention. From the looks of it, Max was up. Caroline attended to him until he was fully awake. He rubbed his eyes and looked around, puzzled as to why they were all sitting in the darkness.

"Light on?" he said questioningly to his mother.

"The lights aren't turning on, Max." his mother told him. He turned to his big sister, still confused.

"May, light on?"

"They won't turn on." May explained. "See?" She got up, going to the light switch, and clicking it on and off to show what she meant. Max stared, contemplating why the lights weren't working all of a sudden.

"No light?"

"Sorry, Max. No lights." Caroline said, smiling gently, trying not to worry her son.

"Wait, do you want a light, Max?" May said as an idea popped into her head. She picked up the flashlight and handed it to him. "See? Now you have a light!"

Max laughed in glee, and began running every which way, shining the flashlight in closets, under the table, at the ceiling, and at every other place he could think of.

"And the big sister saves the day!" May's mother announced, making May swell with pride. Yes, she was the big sister! She was the brave, responsible, smart big sister! She was someone Max looked up to!

Suddenly, the room seemed to flash, and all of a sudden, the lights were on again. May had to blink and rub her eyes to adjust to the brightness.

"Looks like the blackout's finally over." Caroline commented, relieved. May cheered.

"Look, Mommy!" May was looking outside the window, where the blizzard had vanished, being replaced by the gentle sprinkling of snowflakes. The Christmas lights on the neighbours' houses, as well as her own house's, were alight once more, illuminating the street with beautiful colours. It looked even prettier in the dark.

May was brought out of of her trance when the doorbell rang, followed by a loud knock at the door. May was nonplussed. Who could that be?

"Mommy, I think there is someone at the door!"

* * *

Finally. Drew's car had finally escaped the traffic jam. It had taken _soooo_ long, and he and his butler were tired. It was also pretty late now, and was becoming dark. But his butler surprised him. Instead of turning around to head back home like Drew had thought he would, he drove on ahead.

"Where are we going?"

"To your friend's house, of course."

"But I thought you said we would go back home."

"Do you wish to?"

"No, I want to go to May's house, but you-"

"There is no point in going all the way back now, young Master. It is not much farther. And since we have taken so much time, we might as well visit your friend."

"Thank you. You're the best ever!"

They drove on. Drew stared out the window as they went. It was amazing how the weather had changed so suddenly in a few hours. It was almost as if... as if someone had planned that this was going to happen or something. Drew didn't really like being stuck in traffic, but while he was, he had learned about thinking of others and not just himself. Now, every time he looked out the window, and saw someone in his/her car, he found himself wondering how those people were feeling at the moment, and whether they were happy or not.

They were very close to May's house now. Drew spotted two people walking through all the snow on the sidewalk. There was a taller person and a shorter one, who looked about his age. Drew felt sympathy for them. Those two had to walk all the way to wherever they were going through the cold, cold weather. However, a flash of purple caught his attention.

"Wait! Stop the car!" Drew cried out, startling the butler, who brought the car to a screeching halt.

"What is it?" he gasped, worried that something had gone wrong.

"Look! I think that's my friend Paul and his big brother!"

"W-what? Oh. Don't scare me like that!"

But Drew was too excited to really take note of the fright he had given him. He lowered the window and called out, "Paul! Hi, Paul!"

Paul, who'd been walking with his older brother, Reggie, looked up, confused, trying to detect where the voice was coming from. He spotted Drew waving from the car when Reggie pointed it out to him. The two boys walked up to the lowered window.

"Hi Paul!" Drew greeted, brightly. Paul, who was worn out from the bus events from earlier, just grunted in response.

"Hi, Drew!" Reggie said cheerfully. "You going to May's? Man, I thought we were the only late ones!"

"There was a lot of traffic." Drew's butler explained, joining the conversation.

"I know, right? Paul and I had to put up with a little something ourselves. Whew! The bus got stuck, and it was _hours_ before anyone came, we only just arrived at the bus stop a while back. So now, we're just walking to her house. It should be around the corner..."

"You can come with us." Drew offered. "We have space in our car."

"Hey, thanks! Isn't that nice of Drew, Paul?"

"..."

With the new passengers now aboard, they began heading to their destination once more. When they finally arrived at the driveway, another car pulled up. The passengers of both vehicles got out, and the ones in the second car turned out to be...

"Gary, Ash, Leaf, you guys are here too!" Drew exclaimed.

"Hi Drew! Hi Paul!" Leaf said happily as she suppressed a yawn. "Sorry if I sound sleepy. I fell asleep in the car."

"On me." Gary quickly added in. "I had to sit the _whole way_ with her sleeping on me, but I didn't even wake her up or complain."

"_I_ wouldn't have, either." Ash muttered, thinking it wasn't really something that deserved attention.

"Hey, wait. Then that means... everyone was late." Drew figured. There was a silence (at least amongst the five friends. The grownups and Reggie were chatting, recounting what happened to them on the way there).

"Do you... do you guys think that maybe May thought we all weren't coming and thought she doesn't want to have the party anymore?" Ash hesitantly questioned.

"Do you think she doesn't want to be our friends now for not coming to the party?" Drew wondered nervously. More silence.

"I'm tired." Paul finally declared, sounding a bit irritated. "And thirsty. If she doesn't want to have the party, I still want water right now. I'm gonna go ask her for some. And then, we'll just go back home." He began heading for the door.

"Wait, the presents!" Gary remembered suddenly. "If she doesn't wanna be friends with us, we can give her her presents, and she'll like us again!" Gary smiled proudly at his genius.

"Maybe..." Leaf wasn't as sure. But nevertheless, they followed their purple-haired friend to the door of the house. Paul rang the doorbell once, and stepped back to wait.

"Hey, _I_ wanted to ring the bell!" Gary whined.

"Why?"

"It's fun!"

"But she's not opening the door." Leaf pointed out. "Do you think she's angry at us?"

"Maybe she went to sleep." Ash guessed.

"Or maybe the bell's not working." Drew went to knock on the door loudly.

"Hey, _I_ wanted to knock on the door!" Gary pouted.

"Then why don't you?" Leaf said. "It's not against the rules."

"Yeah, but I wanted to be the _first_ one to knock."

"Are you guys arguing again?" Delia and the others came up behind them.

"They won't let me ring the bell or knock on the door!" Gary complained.

"No! I told him he could!" Leaf countered, not wanting to get in trouble for something she wasn't at fault for.

"But I wanted-!" They all fell silent when the doorknob turned, and the door opened. Caroline, May's mother, was standing on the other side. She gave them a look of surprise, before smiling widely.

"You all came! I thought the weather wasn't letting you guys get here!"

"Oh, we ran into quite a lot of trouble on the way." Professor Oak said. "But who could deny the kids to go to their friend's Christmas party."

"Who is it?" A curious voice came from inside the house, and a little girl with a red bandana on her head came up behind her mother. A smile that took up her whole face appeared when she saw who the visitors were.

"You're here! You're all here!" she shrieked with happiness and excitement.

"Come on in, everyone!" Caroline stepped inside, allowing everyone to step out of the cold and into the warmth of the house. "How about I make all of us hot chocolate or tea?"

"Oh, thank you very much!" Delia said. "But I thought this party was only for the kids."

"It's so late, and I doubt you guys would want to leave the kids here for too long past their bedtimes. Not to mention the traffic conditions aren't the best at the moment, so you probably wouldn't want to have to go all the way home and back. So why not you all have some evening tea here with us?"

After they all had dinner (as they hadn't had anything to eat since they left for May's house), they spent the rest of the evening enjoying themselves. Caroline, Delia, Professor Oak, Reggie, and Drew's butler enjoying a hot drink and some snacks at the dining room table as they shared the events from earlier with one another, while May, Drew, Gary, Leaf, Ash and Paul drank hot chocolate, and snacked on candy canes and cookies while they handed one another the presents they had brought.

May was excited to hear about their journeys through the blizzard, and as it turned out, she wasn't angry at them one bit. Instead, she told them a rather over-dramatized and suspenseful story (in which she was the fearless 'heroine') about how the blackout had been.

The Christmas party ended up being much shorter than initially planned, but very fun and enjoyable all the same. It was eventually time to leave, with Professor Oak and Delia taking a very drowsy Ash, a half-asleep Leaf, and a hyper (too many candy canes) Gary back home, and Drew's butler offering to give Reggie and Paul a lift to their house while he took his yawning Master to his.

Max had already fallen asleep, and after her friends left, May nodded off on the sofa, leaving her mother to carry her to her room. She didn't even wake when her mother tucked her into bed, but in the middle of the night, she woke up for about a second when she heard someone open the front door downstairs. She just smiled as she drifted off again, dreaming about how Santa Claus had just arrived.

* * *

When May awoke the next morning, she couldn't immediately figure out why she felt so excited. It then came to her it was Christmas Day! She jumped out of bed, instantly rushing to brush her teeth.

She would open all her presents today! With great restraint (and treats as a distraction), she had managed to keep herself from opening the gifts her friends had brought yesterday, because she had wanted to open them along with all the other presents she had on Christmas morning. Yes, it was going to be a lot of fun! With Max, and Mommy, and Daddy...

Daddy.

May's face fell as she remembered. Her daddy hadn't managed to fly home yesterday, meaning he wouldn't be there. All of the happiness and excitement seemed to slowly drain out of her with that one thought. She felt a teeny tiny tear sting her eye, but she pushed it back. Her mother had told her to have hope, and with that, things got better. After all, her friends had arrived despite the weather last night, hadn't they? She had hoped they would, and they did.

She didn't feel as enthusiastic going downstairs, but once her eyes landed on the Christmas tree in the living room, her world was alight once more. Max was throwing wrapping paper in the air at top-speed as he joyfully unwrapped his presents. Her mother was kneeling beside him, a merry look on her face as she helped him with the hard-to-open gifts. There were boxes and gift bags surrounding the base of the beautiful-looking tree, but one thing caught May's attention the most. Her biggest Christmas present was standing right there beside the tree, smiling like everyone else.

"DADDY!" May shrieked as she ran towards him.

"May!" Her father, Norman, picked her up, allowing her to hug him around the neck. "How are you, honey? How was your Christmas party yesterday?"

"When did you come?" May questioned curiously, but exuberantly. "Mommy said you couldn't come, 'cause of the plane and the weather."

"Well, Princess, I managed to find a ticket that got me here when the weather improved. I came very late last night, or very early in the morning, I should say, when you were fast asleep in bed. I told you I'd be here for Christmas, didn't I?"

"You kept your promise! Daddy, did you see Santa when you came?"

"Hm? No, I didn't. I think he must have already come and left when I arrived."

"I think I heard Santa last night, Daddy! I heard someone downstairs when it was very late at night! Do you think it was him?"

Norman chuckled. "It most certainly must have been! Now, aren't you going to show me what he got you?"

May got to work unwrapping all her presents, and showing off her new toys and clothes to her parents and her brother (though he didn't seem to really care, being more interested in the things he received). May had three words to describe that day.

Best. Christmas. Ever.

* * *

**Whew! That took a while to write! I was expecting it to be long, but this turned out much longer than I thought! Over 10,700 words! And I thought it was only going to be at most 6,000... If that had been the case, I would have been done on Sunday.  
**

**Sorry again for the lateness. I hope the chapter length makes up for that. For my next update, well, it's probably going to be pretty late too. Next week is filled with school exams. But I'll try! I did for this one, after all, even though I was pretty busy (really, even writing a few lines a day helps). I did consider turning it into two chapters, but it seems better as one story. So thanks for being patient! :)**

**As usual, reviews are appreciated, and thanks for reading!**

**Bye bye for now! Have a wonderful day, and smile all the way! :)**


	37. Wish Upon A Star

**Hello everyone! Ehehe... I kind of missed updating last week, didn't I? I was busy... But anyways, I have a chapter for you guys! Enjoy!**

**Today's topic was suggested by a guest reviewer.**

**Disclaimer: I do not own Pokemon in any way, shape or size!**

* * *

**Wish Upon A Star  
**

**Grade Three  
**

**May (8), Drew (8), Ash (8), Misty (8), Gary (8), Paul (8), Dawn (8), Leaf (8)**

**Kindergarten **

**Max (5), Tommy (5), Bonnie (5), Lyn (5)**

"Come _on_, May!" Max urged, tugging his older sister by the sleeve of her jacket.

"Max, slow down! It's starting at about 11:00pm. We're early; it's still 9:30! We don't have to rush."

"But we might miss it!"

"We won't miss it. We're nearly there, and it's not even time for the meteor shower to start!"

Tonight, there was going to be a spectacular meteor shower, and many people were gathering in a park close to the edge of town, where it was said that there was going to be an amazing view. Both May and Max were excited! Their parents were taking them there to see it, and with their excitement, they had hurried on ahead from the parking lot to the grass area. They had come early to be able to find a good spot, but apparently, Max had the misconception that it was about to start once they got there.

"Kids, don't go too far!" May's father, Norman called from behind them.

"Okay!" May shouted back, although her little brother was dragging her farther away with him.

"Hurry _up_!"

"Slow down, Max!"

"May!" May looked up as a familiar voice called her. She looked up to see her friend Ash waving her over.

"Hi, Ash!" she yelled, waving back. "Max, let go! I want to say hi to Ash!"

Her brother finally reluctantly released her, and she ran off to the black-haired boy. She ordered her little brother to follow her (since she didn't want him getting lost) as Ash led her to six others. May beamed as she greeted Drew, Misty, Leaf, Gary, Dawn, and Paul. All of her friends had decided to come too!

Unfortunately for Max, watching May chat with her friends was _very_ boring. He didn't want to listen to May talk to Dawn and Misty about how impatient her little brother was, or hear Ash groan about not having a snack while Drew searched for a treat in a bag, or watch Gary insist to Leaf that he was _not_ afraid of the dark. And Paul, well that boy wasn't even _doing_ anything!

Max huffed, scanning the sky, hoping to catch sight of the spectacle he had been waiting a long time to see. Nothing. The black sky was sprinkled with twinkling stars, but not the shooting stars he had been looking forward to.

"Max!" The young boy found himself being tackled by a little girl his age. He knew who she was! She was one of his best friends from kindergarten!

"Hi, Bonnie!" he said happily.

"Come on! Tommy's here too!" She began hauling him away with her. He nervously glanced at May, who was immensely engrossed with talking to her friends and hadn't noticed he was no longer standing next to her. Leaving her side for a short while wouldn't hurt, would it? He'd be back before she knew it.

"Tommy, I found Max!" Bonnie exclaimed to a dark-eyed brown-haired boy, gesturing enthusiastically to Max. Max frowned, keeping his distance. He and Tommy did not always get along.

"I thought you said you were looking for Lyn." Tommy accused the blonde girl.

"I said I was looking for our other friends!"

"Yeah, but I don't like Max."

Bonnie pouted, and was about to say something, when something, or rather, some_one_ caught the corner of her eye. "Look!" She pointed to a tall, older girl with teal hair who was talking to someone. "Doesn't she look pretty?"

"Huh?"

"Um..."

"I know!" Before the two boys knew it, she was by the older girl's side, kneeling down. "Will you take care of my brother?"

The girl gave her an odd look, and suddenly, a blond boy with round glasses appeared. Max and Tommy recognized him as Bonnie's older brother, Clemont.

"Bonnie, I told you to stop doing that!" he cried, red in the face as he apologized to the girl and tried to pull his sister away. But another voice caught their attention.

"Bonnie!" It was Lyn, who was standing beside the older girl.

"Lyn!" The two little girls jumped onto each other, giggling.

"That's my big sister, Lena." Lyn explained, pointing to the older girl.

"Really?" Bonnie turned to Clemont. "She's perfect for you! Then Lyn can be my sister!"

"N-no way!" Clemont stammered. "B-bonnie!" But his sister and her friend had already run back to Max and Tommy, who had been staring at the scene with slightly bemused expressions.

"We're all here!" Bonnie announced, throwing her hands up in the air.

"Yeah! It's gonna be a lot of fun!" Max agreed. "We can all look at the shooting stars together!"

"Shooting stars?" They all turned to Tommy, who had spoken. "_I_ didn't come here to see _that_."

"What do you mean, Tommy?" Lyn asked. "Why did you come here, then?"

"I wanna see Deoxys!"

There was a silence. The girls looked at each other, confusedly, but Max's eyes widened.

"You can't see Deoxys!" he claimed.

"Why?" Tommy eyed him challengingly.

"Because nobody sees it! Even famous scientists!"

"So? _I_ will see it!"

"What's De-ock-sis?" Lyn inquired.

"It's a Pokemon." Tommy explained quickly. "It's really cool, and it comes from space!"

Both girls marvelled at their new-found knowledge, but Max shook his head.

"Nobody ever sees Deoxys. People say it isn't real!"

"Then how do people know about it, huh? I saw its picture in a book!"

"Cuz long ago, someone saw it, but no one saw it after that."

"Hmph! It's still real! I know it! And when the shooting stars come, Deoxys will too, and I'll meet it! But you won't!"

"Yes I will! If you see it, I will too!"

"No you won't!"

"Yes I will!"

"Won't"

"I _will_! And I'll see Jirachi too!

"What's Jira-chi?" Bonnie questioned.

"It's another really cool Pokemon!" Max said. "People don't see it, like they don't see Deoxys, but people say it comes from space too! Maybe I'll see it when the stars come!"

"You won't! I read Jirachi _only_ comes after a long, long time!"

"I have an idea!" Bonnie exclaimed. "Let's all try to find Deoxys and Jirachi! I wanna see them too!"

"Me too!" Lyn piped.

"Okay! We can all look!" Max said, taking charge. "Let's go there! There aren't a lot of people in that spot, so maybe Jirachi and Deoxys will come over there."

The four travelled to the place Max had pointed out (Tommy a little reluctant to having to follow Max), and they ended up leaving the large crowd of people and being quite alone. They sat down on a patch of grass and waited alone in silence. After a while, a cold wind passed, and Lyn shivered.

"I... I wanna go back to my sister, now." she said a little timidly.

"Now?" Bonnie sounded disappointed. "But we haven't even seen the Pokemon yet!"

"I think we should go back." Max said, agreeing with Lyn. He wasn't scared, but he felt May and his parents might be looking for him. He wasn't supposed to leave his sister without asking.

"You're _scared_!" Tommy taunted. "Max is _scared_ of being alone!"

"No, I'm not!" Max protested. "I just forgot to tell my sister I was going!"

"Maybe I have to tell Clemont, too." Bonnie said, realizing that she was probably being missed.

"But Deoxys! And Jirachi!" Tommy reminded them.

"We'll look for them next time." Lyn assured him. "But right now..."

"Fine!" Tommy folded his arms. "You guys can go! I'll wait here, and see the cool Pokemon!"

The other three hesitated, but they began on their way. A short while later, Max looked back, and saw that Tommy was begrudgingly following them, as he didn't want to be left alone.

"I thought you were gonna stay." Max reminded him. Tommy only muttered in response.

"Look!" Bonnie exclaimed suddenly, pointing up at the sky. The others followed her gaze.

Shooting stars! They streaked the sky like silver against the darkness, creating an extraordinary display of beauty. The four watched wide-eyed in amazement.

"Make a wish!" Lyn said. She clasped her hands together, and smiled as she thought of something.

_What do I want to wish for? _Max wondered. He grinned as the answer came to him. _I wish that one day, I will get to see Deoxys and Jirachi, and lots of other cool Pokemon!_

Looking at the others, he had a feeling they were wishing for the same thing.

* * *

"That was amazing!" Dawn exclaimed as the meteor shower ended.

"I know!" May squealed. "I wish it wasn't over so soon!"

"Hey May," May turned to Ash.

"Yeah? What is it?"

"Where is your little brother?"

"Huh? He's right..." May trailed off and her face turned to one of horror when she realized Max was nowhere to be seen.

"Max!" she cried out, hoping he would answer. "Max! MAX! Where are you?!"

How could this happen? How could she lose her little sibling? What would she tell her parents? What if he were lost and alone and scared and surrounded by strangers and...

"I'm over here, May." May let out a deep sigh of relief when Max appeared, arriving through the midst of the crowd.

"Where were you? I was so worried!" she scolded.

"I was with my friends..." he muttered, guiltily staring at his shoes.

"Don't scare me like that! You have to ask before you leave!"

"Okay... I'm sorry..." May's eyes softened and she smiled at her little brother, giving him a big (and very tight, in Max's opinion) hug.

"Did you see the stars?" Max asked May.

"Yes! They were amazing!"

"Did you make a wish?"

"A wish...? Oh no! I forgot to make a wish!"

"_I_ made a wish!"

"Really? What did you wish for?"

"Not telling! Or else it won't come true!"

"Come on, Max! Tell me!"

"Nope!"

After a while, the crowd dispersed, and everyone began leaving to go home. May and Max got into the car, both very sleepy as it was very late in the night, with May dozing off almost instantly. As their father drove the family home, Max stared out the window. Just as he was falling asleep, he glimpsed something small, shimmery and yellow pass through the sky, and something red shining in the distance, above a cliff.

Max smiled as his eyes closed. He liked to think that his wish had just been granted.

* * *

**When I thought of stargazing, the first thing that came to mind was meteor showers. And that reminded me of Jirachi and Deoxys, and since Max met and formed connections with both of these legendaries, I thought this chapter might suit him.  
**

**Please review, and thanks for reading!**

**Bye bye for now! Have a great day, and smile all the way! :)**


	38. Being Thankful

**Hello everyone! **

**I did post a chapter during the weekend, but not during the weekend before, so I thought I'd write out and post this chapter to make up for that. Happy reading!**

**Today's topic was suggested by _jg13145_.**

**Disclaimer: I do not own Pokemon in any way, shape or size!**

* * *

**Being Thankful  
**

**Kindergarten**

**May (5), Paul (5), Drew (5), Gary (5)**

"Everyone! Attention here, please!" Ms. Kelly said aloud, getting her kindergarten students to quiet down and turn to her. She looked around to make sure all eyes were on her before she continued.

"Now, as we all know, Thanksgiving is coming up soon. And because of that, I asked each one of you to think of things you are thankful for for homework. Today, after recess time is over, I will give each of you a sheet of paper, and you will have to draw out at least three of these things. Then, I will come around and help you all label them, and we will hang up the papers around the class. After the Thanksgiving holiday, I will let you take your pictures home. Okay?"

The class let out a cheer, as they were all eager to draw their pictures. From the looks of it, everyone had thought of things they were thankful for!

At recess, May was excitedly telling her friends, Drew, Gary and Paul, all about the things she had thought of.

"I'm thankful for lots of things! I'm gonna draw my band-na, and noodles, and chocolate, and red, and my mommy and daddy and baby brother, and my toothbrush, and my bed, and my pink sweater that has a _tiny_ hole in it, but is still warm, and lots of other things!"

"I'm gonna draw my butler." Drew said. "And nanny, and my limousine, and my house, and my house's garden, and trees, and flowers." He flipped his hair proudly when he concluded.

"I thought of lots of things too! Even more than you guys!" Gary claimed. "My grandpa, my sister, cool cars, cake, ice cream, lots of different Pokemon, and Leafy!"

Drew was about to ask what 'Leafy' was, but didn't get to, because May (who it seemed had not realized that she had no clue what 'Leafy' was) had directed her attention to Paul.

"What are you gonna make?" she piped cheerfully.

Paul stayed silent for a while, before he finally admitted the truth.

"I... I don't know." he mumbled moodily.

"What?!" May exclaimed. "You don't know? But you have to know! Ms. Kelly said you do!"

"But I don't."

"You're gonna get in trouble!" Gary chanted. "You didn't do your homework!"

"We were supposed to think about it at home." Drew reminded Paul seriously. "Did you try to think?"

"Yes, I did!" Paul insisted. "But I couldn't think of anything. I don't _know_ what I'm thankful for."

"You have think of something!" May cried, sounding panicky. "We have to draw them after recess is over!"

"What?" he asked glumly.

"Um... we'll help you think of something! Right?" May turned to Gary and Drew, hoping to get their support.

"Yes." said Drew bravely. "We'll find something before recess is over." They had to! Or else their friend would get in trouble.

"No!" Gary folded his arms in protest. "I had to think _really_ hard about what I'm thankful for! It's not fair if Paul doesn't!"

"Please?" May pleaded. "One time? One last time?"

"No!"

"One teeny tiny last time?"

"No!"

"One teeny tiny pinkie-promise last time?"

"If he doesn't want to help, fine!" Paul grumbled. "I won't be able to think of anything anyways. I thought all of yesterday!"

"There has to be _something_!" Drew said thoughtfully. "Is there someone you think is really nice?"

"No."

"Are you sure? I mean, I like my butler. He doesn't talk about fun stuff all he time, but he picks me up from school, and drives me, and helps me do stuff when I can't, and teaches me new things, and stuff like that. That's why I'm thankful for him."

Paul thought for a moment. "My brother picks me up from school. And he helps me do things, and teaches me different stuff sometimes."

"Then you can draw him!"

"But he's very annoying sometimes."

"Still. My butler isn't always fun. Sometimes, he makes me do stuff I don't want to, like eat in a certain way, and talk in a certain way in front of some people. But he does a lot of good stuff too."

"Okay. Then I'll draw Reggie."

"But Ms. Kelly said there has to be _three_!" Gary reminded them smugly. "If you only make your brother, you'll get in trouble, and Ms. Kelly will make you sit in the timeout corner!"

"No she won't." Paul said, annoyed.

"Yes she will! She said to do your homework, but you didn't listen to her!"

"Yes, I did! I tried all of yesterday! And Ms. Kelly doesn't put you in timeout if you don't do your homework. I saw someone forgot to do theirs once, but she didn't make them go in timeout."

"But she'll make_ you_!"

"Why?"

"Because... because..."

"She _won't_! I know she won't!" Paul stuck his nose in the air and folded his arms in a final sort of way.

"Ms. Kelly!" May exclaimed as if realizing something. The others turned to her.

"What?"

"Ms. Kelly! You're thankful Ms. Kelly is your teacher, right Paul?"

"I guess..."

"You can draw her, then!"

"What?!" Paul stared at his excited friend disbelievingly. "I can't draw _her_!"

"Why?" May cocked her head in confusion.

"She's the _teacher_!"

"So?"

"I can't draw her!"

"Why?"

"Because she's the _teacher_!" Paul tried to desperately explain it to her. He didn't want to draw Ms. Kelly. It would be too embarrassing! She would come around, and when she would see what he had drawn, she would act all flattered, and give it a lot of attention, something he never wanted. Paul, like every other student in the class, appreciated his teacher, but drawing her as someone he was thankful for? He couldn't do that! Especially when no one else was doing it!

"Then what are you gonna draw?" Drew pointed out. "You have to draw three things. We're gonna have to think of two more things if you're only gonna draw your brother."

Paul scowled, seeing the truth in Drew's words, and the hopelessness of the situation."Fine..." he muttered, conceding.

"Okay, we have to think of one more thing!" May thought for a moment. "What do you think, Paul? What do you think you are thankful for?"

"I don't know."

"There has to be something! Your favourite food? Candy?"

"...I still don't know..."

"Okay class, recess is over!" Ms. Kelly announced. The kindergarteners all went to their seats, and their teacher passed around paper and crayons.

Paul watched as the other three got to work immediately. They were going to draw a lot of stuff, but he barely had any ideas. Oh well. At least they had helped him think of two things. Or else, he wouldn't have been able to think of anything at all.

And just like that, a light bulb went off in his head. He knew what the third thing was.

* * *

"Wow, such nice pictures!" Ms. Kelly complimented as she arrived at May's table. She had been going around, helping her students label the things they drew. It was now May, Drew, Gary, and Paul's turn.

She helped May label the many things she had drawn, and assisted Drew in his writing as well (although he already knew how to write a little bit because of his tutors, though not with the best spelling). After lending a hand to Gary, she arrived at Paul's side.

"And this is your brother?" she guessed, pointing to a boy with purple hair on Paul's page.

"Yes." the boy mumbled.

"And who's this?"

Paul muttered the answer, though Ms. Kelly didn't hear.

"I'm sorry? Didn't quite catch that."

"You..."

"Oh!" She was flattered, but when she saw how Paul was sliding down his chair in an embarrassed sort of way, she decided to be merciful and act casual. It was no lie to say Paul was thankful for that.

"And this... how nice!" She smiled when she saw the final drawing.

"What is it?" May questioned curiously, trying to peek at his page. Paul wanted to snatch it away, but Ms. Kelly was writing on it right now.

"Is that us?" Drew asked, peering at the picture.

"Oh, that's my band-na!" May exclaimed, squealing with happiness as she pointed at the red blob atop of the head of the May Paul had drawn.

"And that's me!" Drew said, pride alive within him. Looking at that bright green hair Paul had coloured, Drew felt an urge to flip his own hair.

Unlike his other two friends, however, Gary was unimpressed.

"That doesn't look like me!" he said, frowning.

"Yes, it does!" Paul was quick to defend his work.

"No it doesn't!"

"Yes it does! I made you like that, so it does!"

"You made me like that on _purpose_! I don't look like that!"

"Yes you do!"

"_Boys_!" Ms. Kelly's stern voice got both of them to fall silent. Once she was sure they had stopped fighting, she addressed the whole group. "You all made such wonderful pictures! Now, I'm going to collect them, and hang them on the wall like the others." And she did just that.

A while later, after everyone's papers were hung up, they all went to admire their works of art. Paul examined his own sheet. It wasn't too bad, he decided. Satisfactory, at least. A pretty good job for a last minute attempt. He was grateful that his friends had helped him out.

He also felt a little guilty for lying to them. To tell the truth, Paul actually _hadn't_ thought of things he was thankful for last night when he was supposed to. If he had done that, his page would have been completely filled up. In fact, now that he really thought of it, he could think of lots of things he was thankful for, like orange juice and TV and cool shoes and his book that had many Pokemon in it. Yes, those were all _very_ important things he was thankful for, and he'd draw them instead of what he did draw any day. Oh well. It was too late now.

At the end of the day, the thing Paul was most thankful for was the fact that he didn't get in trouble for not doing his homework.

* * *

**One completed chapter!**

**Oh, and the reason Drew, May and Paul didn't know who Leaf was was because this occurs before they met her. Just in case that was unclear.**

**Please review, and thanks for reading!**

**Bye bye for now! Have a great day, and smile all the way! :)**


	39. At The Restaurant

**Hello, everyone! Chapter time!  
**

**I would have updated yesterday, but there was something wrong with fanfic that wouldn't let me do anything profile-related. It kept showing error, and it took about 24 hours before that got fixed. But now that I can, I'm updating! Happy reading!**

**Today's suggestion was made by a guest reviewer.**

**Disclaimer: I do not own Pokemon in any way, shape or size!**

* * *

**At The Restaurant  
**

**Grade Two  
**

**Drew (7), Burgundy (7)**

**Grade Seven**

**Cilan (12), Cress (12), Chili (12)**

Drew Hayden often enjoyed going to fancy restaurants for dinner. He usually had his chefs make him a gourmet meal at his mansion, but on some of the days when his parents were too busy with work to join him for a meal, his butler would take him to a restaurant instead. Today just happened to be one of those days.

"This is the Striaton Restaurant." Drew's butler told him as the two walked into the building. "It is a quite popular place which offers the finest Unovean gourmet meals, and it is_ very_ high ranking."

When the two entered, they were immediately met with a waiter who led them to a table for two and got them seated. The two customers read over the menu (though Drew had to continuously ask his butler what a food item was) and placed their orders. When the waiter left to retrieve their dinners, Drew began to curiously observe his surroundings.

It was all very interesting to him! The building was filled with delicious aromas of unfamiliar foods, the walls were adorned with traditional Unovean decorations, and the people all seemed to be dressed differently as well. Probably wearing Unova-style clothing.

As he was looking around from his seat, something caught Drew's attention. There were three older boys talking together about something. Drew recognized all three of them! He got up from his seat and walked over in a well-mannered way to say hi. As he came closer, he could start hearing bits of their conversation.

"Come on, Cilan!" the red-haired boy said to the green-haired one. "It was just a Purrloin!"

"Chili, you know how I don't like Purrloin at all!" Cilan shuddered.

"But it didn't even _do_ anything to you!"

"Chili, just leave Cilan alone." the final boy, the one with blue hair, spoke up. "He doesn't like Purrloin, and you know it."

"But really, Cress, it's kind of silly to be afraid of that Pokemon, just because of that time-"

"Hello!" Drew greeted brightly, smiling at the three. They were triplets Cilan, Chili, and Cress, who went to the same school as Drew, but were in higher grades. However, they met often, as their classes got together once a week when the grade seven students would act as reading buddies for the second graders. Cilan was Drew and Drew's friend May's reading buddy.

"Oh, Drew!" Cilan said in surprise. "I didn't expect to see you here! What a pleasure!" Drew proudly flipped his hair.

"Hey, aren't you my brother's reading buddy from school?" Cress noted. "Nice of you to come! You eating here today?"

"Wait!" Chili threw a quick glance around. "Your two friends aren't around around are they? The spiky-haired boy and the purple-head?"

"Um, you mean Gary and Paul?" Drew clarified. "No, they're not here."

"Good." Even though Chili was Gary and Paul's reading buddy, he didn't really like them very much. Their mischief always got on his nerves.

"Are you guys here to eat too?" the seven-year-old boy asked.

"Actually, Drew, our family runs the Striaton Restaurant!" Cilan informed him. "You see, we're actually from Unova, so when we moved here, we decided to open this restaurant here as well! It's just like our restaurant back in Striaton City!"

"Except it's a bit smaller." Chili pointed out. "The original one was _much_ bigger than this! It even had the Striaton Gym in it, since our family owns that too!"

"Really?" Drew listened to them interestedly.

"Why yes! In fact, the three of us are planning to become its gym leaders in the future!" Cilan announced.

"Wow!" Drew was impressed.

"Master Andrew!" Drew turned when he heard his butler call him. "Our orders have arrived!"

"Okay! I'm coming!"

"I hope you enjoy our chef's cooking!" Cilan said, waving after him as he returned to his table. Drew waved back, and gave his hair a little flip as he did.

Soon, the young boy was seated, his plate in front of him. He was about to take a bite when he heard a voice.

"Bonn-jur! Mais non! What are you eating?!" Drew looked up to see a girl about his age standing beside his chair. She had short, curly purple hair, and purple eyes which she used to glare at the green-haired boy. And, for some reason, she was saying some badly-pronounced Kalosian words as she spoke.

"I'm eating... this." Drew answered, not really being able to remember the name of the meal he had ordered. The food on the menus of fancy restaurants always seemed to have such complicated names.

"Tres horr-eeble! You can't eat that!"

"Why not?"

"It doesn't taste good at all!"

"Really?"

"Yes! I can tell by the way it smells!"

Drew knew it was bad manners to sniff his food, but he was curious to see if what the girl was saying was true or not. He didn't lean down to look obvious, but he tried to catch a scent of what he was eating by sitting in his normal position. It didn't smell bad, though. It actually smelled quite nice.

"It doesn't smell bad."

"Of course _you_ wouldn't know! _I_ do, though, because _I_ have much more experience with this kind of stuff! You should leave this restaurant, and come to mine!"

"What restaurant is yours?"

"It's called Burgundy's Restaurant That Is Better Than The Striaton Restaurant!"

"That's a long name. Where is it? I never heard of it."

"Oh, um... it hasn't opened yet, but it's gonna!"

"Okay. I'll come to it when it opens. But right now, I have to eat my food here." He was about to lift his spoon to his mouth when he was interrupted once again.

"Stop! Didn't I tell you you can't eat that?"

"But I want to!" Though he acted calm, Drew was growing irritated. He was hungry! He wanted to eat his dinner!

"Master Andrew, if you wish to eat, you may." his butler said suddenly. "You can try it, and if you do not like it, we can order something else."

The girl jumped, as she hadn't noticed the man sitting at the same table as the boy.

"Burgundy, what are you doing?" A new voice joined in. It appeared Cilan had come over to see what was going on.

"Eep!" The girl, now known as 'Burgundy', was startled by his sudden appearance. "C-cilan! What are you doing here?"

"You already know my family works here."

"Hmph! Well, to answer your question, I was just informing this little boy that he shouldn't eat at this terrible restaurant!"

"Burgundy, he's about the same age as you, so you can't exactly call him a 'little boy'. And besides, this isn't a terrible restaurant."

"Yes it is! Because _you_ work here! When get my _own_ restaurant, it'll be much better than yours, and people will go there instead of coming here, and I'll be famous and you won't!"

"Um, I'm not even old enough to work here yet..." Before Cilan could say anything else, Burgundy had stomped off furiously.

"Who was she?" Drew inquired.

"Oh, her? Her name is Burgundy. Our parents are close friends, but I think she sees me as a rival. Once, when we went to her house, I made some comment about the dinner. It was a good comment, but while her parents knew what I was saying, she misunderstood and got angry, and began thinking that I look down on food other people make because my family owns Striaton Restaurant. So... she gets a bit upset at me."

"Oh."

"Anyways, Drew, there is nothing wrong with your meal! Don't mind what Burgundy said; she gets like that sometimes. So enjoy!"

When Cilan left, Drew began eating his dinner. It was delicious! After he finished, he began thinking of Burgundy and Cilan and the rivalry between the two (although it was mostly one-sided).

_I wonder if I will get a rival when I grow up..._

* * *

**And thus ends a day at the restaurant!  
**

**One thing that I could never get over was the fact that they never explained Cilan's fear for Purrloin in the anime. They kept making it seem like something terrible happened, but they never explained _what_! I'll admit, I was a bit annoyed when the series ended without revealing the reason. Actually, in one episode, he does tell Ash and Iris, but we never find out what he told them. -_-" **

**So this chapter was meant to focus on the triplets, because when I think of restaurants and Pokemon, I think of them. And I thought Burgundy deserved a little focus too, since she seems to have this one-sided rivalry with Cilan. And Drew? Well, I just imagine him going to fancy restaurants!**

**Hey, just wondering, does anyone think I should give Drew's butler a name? He seems to come up a lot. I like to think of him as 'Drew's butler', but it would make sense to give him a name, since he _is_ a recurring character. So what do you guys think? If yes, do you have any ideas for a name for him?**

**Please review, and thanks for reading!**

**Bye bye for now! Have a great day, and smile all the way! :)**


	40. The Origins Of May's Expeditions

**Hello everyone! New chapter time!**

**I guess I should say sorry. I knew beforehand that I wasn't going to be able to update during the weekend because I was going out-of-town for a few days, but I forgot to mention that last chapter. I tried to finish this chapter to post it before I left, but even though it was nearly complete, it still wasn't finished, so I couldn't update. Sorry to keep you guys waiting.**

**Okay, remember how I said I'm not accepting any more suggestions for a while? Well, I think I can start accepting again. I'm still not done with the list I already have, but I think I'll be able to manage. Just as long as the same person doesn't give more than one at once.  
**

**On with the chapter! Happy reading!**

**Today's topic was suggested by _Pika-Bones_!**

**Disclaimer: I do not own Pokemon in any way, shape or size!**

* * *

**The Origins Of May's Expeditions**

**(Summer after) Kindergarten  
**

**May (6), Gary (6), Leaf (6), Ash (6)**

When May went to the park to meet up with three of her friends, she wore a proud smile on her face. Gary, Leaf and Ash weren't her only friends (she had two more), but the other two hadn't been able to make it. But as the park was near the other three's neighbourhood, there was no surprise they would be able to come with ease. Even though the whole group wasn't there, May couldn't wait to show off her new special toy!

As her mother, Caroline, began conversing with her friend Ash's mother, Delia, she ran up to her five friends, her eyes sparkling with excitement.

"Look!" she said to them delightedly. She held something up. "It's a camera!"

The others examined it interestedly. It was a shiny red camera that hung around her neck by a green cord. It wasn't real, but they had to admit: it looked _very_ nice!

"Can we all play with it?" Ash asked enthusiastically.

"Um, okay, but _I_ want to wear it!" May held her head up high. "I know! We can play explorers! Daddy watches some explorer shows on TV, and in them, there are people with cameras and hats who go to lots of cool places, and see lots of different jungles and caves and Pokemon!"

"You have a camera, and your band-na is like a hat!" Leaf pointed out.

"Then I get to be the leader!" May announced. It only seemed fair, as she was the closest to looking like a real explorer. However, Gary was opposed to the idea.

"That's not fair!" he said, folding his arms. "_I_ want to be the leader! Why can't I be him?"

"Cuz it was _my_ idea, and it's _my_ camera!"

"We can take turns." Ash suggested, his eyes on the red toy. "That way, we can all get to be the leader with the camera." In truth, he just really wanted to play with the camera as well. He wasn't too concerned about taking turns.

"But I don't wanna take turns! It's my camera, and I want to keep it with me! Mommy said I should, or else it might get lost!"

"You have to share." Leaf reminded her. "Whenever you have a toy, you _have_ to share! That's what the teachers say at school."

May hesitated. Yes, that _was_ what her kindergarten teacher, Ms. Kelly, used to say. But... that was for the school's toys. The camera was hers, so she didn't have to hand it over to the others. Right?

"Yes!" Gary agreed with Leaf instantly. "If you don't share, I'll tell your mom!"

"B-but-!" May was running out of arguments. It was her new special toy, but she was afraid her friends might accidentally ruin it! She really didn't want it to leave her care. However, with all her friends' reasoning, and the way they were watching her, it made her feel guilty for not letting them play with it as well.

"Okay," May finally conceded reluctantly. "But you have to take really good care of it! Promise?"

"Yes! We promise!"

"Okay..."

"Give it to me!" Gary demanded. "I'm gonna be the leader!"

"But what about me?" Ash chimed in. "I asked if we could play with it first!"

"It's May's, so she gets to choose!" Leaf said wisely. All eyes turned to her, watching her intently.

"Um, can I be the leader first? And then I can give it to someone else later."

The others agreed, with Leaf hushing Gary when he was about to complain about unfairness. The four played explorers, pretending the playground equipment was a jungle, where they followed May as she ran around, swinging through trees (small Aipom-bars made for kids their age), being washed down waterfalls (slides), and avoiding quicksand (the playground sand). After a while, though, Gary's impatience wore down.

"Okay, it's my turn now." he declared.

"Yeah," Ash agreed. "You've been the leader for a very long time. Can I try now?"

"I asked first!" Gary argued.

"Gary, Ash! Remember? May's gonna choose!" Leaf reminded them.

"Oh, um," May didn't want to give up her camera just yet. But it didn't feel like she had a choice. "Leaf can have it. She can be the leader."

"Why her?" Gary whined. "That's not fair!"

"Yes it is! She chose me!" Leaf grinned at him smugly as she took the camera from her friend and wore it around her neck.

Leaf acted as the leader until Ash asked if he could get a chance. Leaf agreed, handing him May's toy, as May watched nervously. She was finding it hard to have fun, since she always had her eye on the camera, as she did not want it to get lost or broken.

Ash led them for a while, but his turn didn't last as long as May's and Leaf's, because his mother called, saying it was time to go. May's mother called her as well.

"Bye!" Ash said, handing the precious camera back to May. He, along with Leaf (since he, Gary and Leaf had all been brought to the park by Delia), ran over to his mother. Gary, however, sourly turned to May.

"I didn't get a chance." he told her.

"Maybe next time." May reassured him. Though she was planning not to bring her camera with her again, since her friends would make her give it to them.

"What if you forget it next time?"

"I'll try not to."

"But it's not fair! Leaf and Ash got a turn! I want one too!"

"Maybe you'll get it _next time_."

"But they got turns _today_! I want a turn today too!"

"But I need to go home right now..."

"I know! Can I borrow it?"

"What? Borrow my camera?"

"Yes! I'll give it back the next time I see you, and I can play with it at home today!"

"No, you can't!"

"Why? You're being unfair! I asked first, but you didn't give me a turn at all!"

"But..."

"Hmph! You're not being a good friend!" Gary folded his arms and turned away. May was overcome with shame. Gary was her best friend, and yet she didn't trust him! She shouldn't make him unhappy like that.

"O-okay..." May said finally. "Pinky-promise that you won't ruin it, and you'll give it back."

"Okay!" Both locked pinkies, and soon, May was watching the spiky-haired boy walk away with her beloved red camera.

* * *

"What are you watching, Daddy?" May asked as she came into the family room, where her father was sitting on the couch, watching television.

"It's called 'The Expeditions of The Adventure Squad'." her father answered. "There is a group of people who travel together on expeditions, exploring many different places and having many adventures."

She knew of this show. Her father watched it often. But there was one thing that puzzled her. "What's an ex-dishun?"

"An expedition is like an adventure or voyage a group of people make for a specific reason, like to explore a certain place."

May herself couldn't wait until she was old enough to go on a journey. It would be just as if she were an explorer too! She would travel the world, going through many different places, and meeting many people. And trying different foods, like noodles, as well! Yes, she would be one of the best adventurers, and her ex-dishuns (or whatever her father had said) would be known by all! In fact, she was already a step closer to this dream, with the new (toy) camera she had acquired.

But with a pang, she remembered something. She didn't have her camera with her right now; Gary did. And she wouldn't get it back until the next time she saw him. Probably. But... he _would_ bring it, right? After all, he had pinky-promised!

Nevertheless, she found herself missing that red camera immensely. She hoped they would meet again soon.

* * *

May was waiting impatiently at the park. She knew Gary, Ash and Leaf would show up eventually. She had begged her mother to bring her here to play with those three, although her actual goal was to get her camera back from Gary. He had had it long enough! She wanted it back, and he had better have it!

"Hi, May!" Ash greeted cheerfully as he and the other two ran up to her. However, he was ignored, as May immediately turned to the spiky-haired boy.

"Gary, I want my camera back." she demanded.

Gary began looking a bit nervous. "W-what?"

"My camera! You borrowed it, and you said you would give it back. You didn't forget it, right?"

"N-no..."

"Where is it?"

"Um..."

"Gary, you didn't lose it, did you? You said you would take good care of it! You pinky-promised!" Gary hung his head, ashamed.

"I-I didn't lose it, May. I did, but I found it."

"That's okay. Where is it, then? I want it back."

"I was playing with it at my grandpa's lab. I was playing explorer outside on the Pokemon ranch, but then I dropped it. And then I found it..."

"You already said that. Where is it?"

"May, when I found it... it was broken. I think a Pokemon stepped on it. It's completely broken now."

May stared at the boy with unbelieving eyes. Had she just heard what she thought she'd heard? She was stunned! Her special, new toy had been totally destroyed! She hadn't even gotten to play with it enough, not to mention that she hadn't even showed it to Drew and Paul yet.

She felt tears sting her eyes. Her new toy! She hadn't even want to give it to her friends, but they pushed her into it! And now, she paid the price.

"I'm sorry..." Gary muttered, apologizing sincerely, his face slathered with guilt. He hadn't meant for that to happen. He had just liked it so much, but really, it was May's. He should have been more responsible.

"We're sorry too." Leaf said sorrowfully. "We shouldn't have made you given it to us. It was yours, and if we'd accidentally broken it, it wouldn't have been fair at all, because you hadn't wanted to give it to us. But you did, and now it's ruined."

"Yeah," Ash agreed, rubbing the back of his head sheepishly. "I just really wanted to play with it, so I said you had to share so I would get to. But it was yours, and you wanted to play with it too. You were being a great friend, sharing it even though you didn't want. But we weren't being such great friends to you."

"It's okay," May managed to choke out. She quickly dabbed her eyes with her hand to stop her tears from running.

The three were clearly feeling very bad about it. It was there own selfishness that was making their friend upset.

"Um... do you want to play explorers again?" Gary asked hesitantly. "You can be the leader the whole time if you want."

"N-no thank you. I don't want to play explorers without my camera."

"But why? You're a great explorer, and it's still fun!"

"But I don't even have my camera..."

"Yes you do!" Gary began sounding eager.

"I do?"

"Yeah! My sister showed me how to make a camera with my hands! I can show you!"

Gary enthusiastically ran up to his friend. He connected his thumbs to the index fingers of the opposite hand, forming a rectangle.

"See?" he said, looking through the opening. "It's like a camera!"

May mimicked him, and held her camera up to her face. She frowned.

"It's not really like a camera. It's not red, and where is the button that takes a picture?"

Gary's expression faltered, and he lowered his hands, disappointed. Of course he wouldn't be able to replace May's real camera! Using your hands wasn't nearly as special. He would just have to buy a new one for her.

"Click!" May said suddenly. She was grinning now, with her 'camera' pointed at a tree nearby. She giggled. "I took a picture of that tree!"

"Show me!" Leaf ran up to her. Ash did too, though it seemed he was less certain about how she had taken the picture. May proudly held her 'camera' back to show Leaf the imaginary photograph, which Leaf pretended she saw and admired, while Ash just stood confusedly.

"Now, it's a video camera!" May announced. "Explorers always have cameras with them on their ex-dishuns!" At least they did on TV.

"What's an ex-dishun?" Ash questioned.

"It's an adventure!" May explained briefly, unable to recall everything her father had said. She moved her 'video camera' around to 'record' her surroundings. She began the commentary the same way the Adventure Squad did in the show her daddy watched.

"This is May's ex-dishuns! Today, I'm gonna go through the jungle with my friends Ash, Leaf, and Gary! Come on, let's go find treasure!"

She ran on ahead, with Ash and Leaf close behind. She stopped once to gesture to Gary to follow as well, to which he complied without hesitation.

And thus, the group went off on their voyages. And this time, May had absolutely no worries about sharing the leader role with her friends. As the days passed, the group moved on, and they became more interested in playing games other than explorers. But for May, she always had her 'camera' ready for all of her ex-dishuns!

* * *

**Done! And thus began May's Expeditions!**

**I'll try to get the next chapter posted soon. I'll see how long it takes me to write it out.**

**Also, thanks for ideas for Drew's butler's name! Hm, now which name to choose... I'll try to have his name thought out by the next time he appears.**

**Please review, and thanks for reading!**

**Bye bye for now! Have a fantastic day, and smile all the way! :)**


	41. Summer Camp

**Hello everyone! Chapter time! **

**I'm updating today since I just felt like it, even though it's not the weekend yet where I am. Enjoy!  
**

**Here's today's topic, which was suggested by a guest reviewer!**

**Disclaimer: I do not own Pokemon in any way, shape or size!**

* * *

**Summer Camp  
**

**(Summer before) Grade Two  
**

**Ash (7), Gary (7), Leaf, (7), Misty (7)**

**Serena (7)**

"But I don't want to go!" Serena, a young girl with honey-coloured hair and blue eyes, whined to her mother, Grace.

"Oh, come on, Seree-sweetie, it'll be fun!" Grace said merrily. "Many kids your age go to Professor Oak's Pokemon Summer Camp. I'm sure you'll make lots of friends!"

"But Mommy-!"

"Seree-dear, just try it! It won't be as bad as you think. Many of the kids are friendly! You'll be making friends in no time!"

Serena sulked as she continued walking on with her mother who was holding her hand. Her mother never seemed to understand! Serena was just not the outdoor-type of girl. She preferred looking at nice clothes, and baking, and dressing up, but her mother, well, her interests clashed.

Grace was a sporty, energetic woman, always up for a challenge, being a bit of a dare-devil, and not to mention the fact that she was a former Rhyhorn racer. She expected Serena to continue her legacy of becoming a first-place Rhyhorn racer, which was why she always made her get up early in the morning to practice, and pushed her into joining junior Rhyhorn races.

But not matter how much Serena tried to tell her, her mother couldn't understand that she did not want to be a racer. She was convinced she would learn to like it, which the little girl doubted.

And now, her mother was under the impression that Serena did not want to go to the one-week summer Pokemon camp because she was afraid she wouldn't make any friends. Granted, she was a quiet little girl who often shied away from meeting new people, but that wasn't it! She just didn't want to go to camp, where she would have to participate in outdoor activities, socialize with a crowd of hyper kids her age whom she didn't even know, and have to do stuff like that.

"Hello Professor Oak!" Grace greeted an elderly man, who greeted her warmly in return.

"Why hello there!"

"My name is Grace, and Serena here is going to be joining camp this week! Aren't you Serena? Say hi to Professor Oak!"

"H-hello!" Serena squeaked.

"Oh, I remember! Your mother signed you up for this camp, didn't she? Well, I can assure you, this will be a great experience!"

Serena stayed in doubtful silence while her mother continued talking to the man. Finally, the woman was waving to her daughter as she left. The blue-eyed girl gave a tiny wave back, but she felt quite alone, standing there with a small suitcase and her backpack in an unfamiliar place where she didn't know anyone.

"Well, Serena, why don't you go to your tent? You are in tent 5. We'll be camping outside when the weather permits, but we have cabins for when we can't. Do you need help?"

Professor Oak took her suitcase into one of the cabins (since the tents didn't have enough room) and led her to tent 5, where there was a group of other kids her age chatting. When the man left, Serena just stood off to the side, separate from everyone else.

She spotted a few here and there who looked familiar since they were from the same school as her, like the boy Trip, who was enthusiastically taking pictures with his digital camera. And then there were Ash and Gary, both from her class, who were in a group with two girls she did not recognize. Gary and Ash appeared to be arguing about something, while the two girls watched exasperatedly.

At least not everyone was a stranger. But Serena had never really talked to them directly before, and she wasn't comfortable in doing so right now either.

The day went by without too much occurring. Once everyone had arrived and was settled in, Professor Oak went through the basics of camp, like the rules, and what their plans were. He handed out schedules, and looking at them, it seemed the rest of the week was going to be much more eventful.

It began raining too, so they all went into the cabins instead of spending the day outside. Most of the kids were disappointed, but Serena was an exception. She would rather not spend the day running around outside. This week wasn't going to be very fun in her eyes.

* * *

"Make sure you stay with the group! These woods are not very deep, but you can still get lost!" Professor Oak said to everyone. It was the next day, and they were all out for a hike. Professor Oak was going to lead them through the woods to show them the many Pokemon that lived there.

They began walking, and Professor Oak proceeded to point out a Pidgey, and a Ratatta, and a Caterpie (which caused an orange-haired girl to scream).

Serena observed her surroundings, but she could instantly see the differences between her and the other kids. Everyone was so enthusiastic and energetic! It was clear they were all enjoying themselves, whereas she was only there because her mother made her.

She eyed the orange-haired girl, the one who was with Ash and Gary and a green-eyed girl. Now _she_ looked like the kind of daughter her mother would want, with her sporty clothes and apparent love for athletics. She wondered if she would like Rhyhorn racing and going to camp better if she were like that orange-haired girl.

As they walked on, Serena noticed a flower. It wasn't just any flower. It looked particularly pretty, and stood out from the surrounding plants. The little girl paused to admire it. She liked the bright pink colour, and how it seemed to shine brightly in the small ray of sunlight that fell upon it. But she shouldn't get distracted. She had to keep going, so she didn't fall behind of the group.

But when she looked up, she was all alone.

* * *

"Cool! Another Weedle!" Ash exclaimed, running to the tree where the Pokemon was resting.

"Eep! Ash, stop running off like that! You're gonna get separated from the group!" his friend Misty called to him, not daring to run after him, since it would mean having to go closer to the bug.

"Hurry up, you guys!" Leaf urged. "We're falling behind!"

"Are you afraid we're gonna get lost, Leafy?" Gary teased. "I know the way through these woods! I _always_ come in here with my grandpa!"

Leaf rolled her eyes, choosing to ignore him and his boastful claims. "Come on, you guys! The group's already so far ahead!"

The four quickly caught up with everyone else. Professor Oak had stopped walking, and was pointing out a small pond.

"See there, everyone? You can see many Pokemon around here. They come here to drink and cool off. Many bug-types and water-types like living in this area."

"Oooo, water-types?" Misty repeated excitedly. "Are there any around here right now?"

"Hm..." Professor Oak tried to spot movement, but failed. "It doesn't look like it right now. Do you guys want to wait and see if a Pokemon shows up, or- Hey look! Over there!" A water-type Pokemon had appeared.

"It's a Poliwag!" Misty announced.

"Wow, it's so cool!" Ash edged forward to get a closer look.

"Don't get too close, Ash," the scientist warned. At that moment, the Poliwag became startled by the boy's closeness, and jumped out of the water, escaping into the bushes.

"Hahaha!" Gary laughed. "You scared it away! Ash-boy is very scary looking!"

"I didn't even get to take a picture..." the boy named Trip mumbled.

Ash, however, was not dispirited. "It was just surprised!" he insisted. "I'm gonna go find it and make it my friend! You'll see!" Before anyone could stop him, he ran off after the Pokemon.

"Ash, wait!" The professor tried to catch up, but was too slow. "Don't go off like that on your own!" However, he was too late. The boy had already disappeared.

* * *

"Where is everybody? Where did you all go?" Serena was close to tears, as she turned this way and that, trying to find everyone else. But they were nowhere to be seen. And now, the area around her was looking unfamiliar as well. She was lost, and she knew it.

Suddenly, there was a rustling in a nearby bush, which startled her, causing her to fall and hurt her knee. But at the moment, she was terrified of whatever Pokemon might appear, with the possibility of it attacking her, to worry about her scrape.

"Huh?" A Poliwag jumped out. It looked around, before hopping off.

Now Serena felt lost and hurt as well, and her tears began to pour.

"I knew I didn't wanna come to camp!" she sobbed. "I _knew_ it!" She couldn't help but yell out, "MOMMY!", as if her mother would somehow hear her and come to her rescue.

Suddenly, the same bushes were rustling again, and it looked like whatever was hidden behind them was much bigger than the Poliwag. She was scared to death, so she shut her eyes tightly. But then she heard a voice.

"Poliwag?" A boy with black hair stepped out, evidently searching for the Pokemon that had just left a few moments ago. When he saw the little girl, he was immediately distracted from his pursuit.

"Hey, are you all right?" he asked.

"Huh?" She opened her eyes to see who had appeared.

"Hi, I'm Ash! Who are you?" He gave her a smile, and his brown eyes shone with friendliness. Yes, she knew Ash from school, but they had never talked before now. And from the looks of it, Ash had not recognized her. Probably because she was always so quiet, and often went unnoticed.

"What's wrong?" he asked, suddenly noticing how teary her eyes were.

"I hurt my leg," she answered in a shaky voice.

"Don't worry!" he assured her, pulling out a blue handkerchief. "See this? This'll make it better!"

He wrapped it around her knee while she watched on.

"All done!" he exclaimed as he made a knot. Serena tried to move her leg, but winced when it hurt. However, it seemed Ash was not done.

"Now watch this!" He moved his arms around over her knee as if casting a spell, and raised them in the air at the end, all the while saying, "Feel better, feel better, right away!"

Serena tried to move again, but without succeeding. "It still hurts, I can't stand up!"

Ash stood up in front of her, and held out his hand. "Don't give up till it's over, 'kay?" he advised. "Come on!"

She hesitantly held out her hand, which he took hold of, and pulled her to her feet. She blinked in surprise, and stared at the boy before her.

"There you go!" he said, giving her a toothy grin. "I think we should be getting back to the campsite, 'kay? Come on!"

Holding her hand, he began leading her to where the campsite apparently was.

"Thank you," Serena managed to mumble.

"Hey, no prob! I'm not too sure where the others are right now, since I sort of lost them when I went after Poliwag, but I'm sure the campsite is this way!"

"O-okay..."

However, it wasn't. They ended up in a clearing in the woods, but there was no one else there.

"Aw man! I was sure it was somewhere around here!" Ash rubbed the back of his head sheepishly.

"We're lost! We can't find them!" Serena was starting to panic again. But the thought that she wouldn't be left all alone this time comforted her somewhat.

"Nah, I'm sure we will! Remember, don't give up till it's over, right? Hm, there's gotta be a way to know where they are..."

"BUGS!" A scream was heard from somewhere, and it brought a smile to Ash's face.

"That's Misty!" he exclaimed. "The others must be close! Come on, I think I heard it from this way!"

Still leading Serena by the hand, he hurried in the direction he had heard the voice. As they neared the area, they could hear Professor Oak, and some of Ash's friends, calling for Ash's name, and that led them closer. Finally, they arrived where the others were.

"Hi, everyone!" Ash exclaimed cheerfully, getting their attention. Serena let go of his hand, moving away, not wanting to be in the spotlight.

"Young man, it was very irresponsible that you to just run off like that! You could have gotten lost or hurt!" Professor Oak scolded.

"Did you make friends with Poliwag?" Gary teased. "Or were you too scary for it?"

"Oh yeah, Poliwag! I forgot all about it!"

"Seriously?" Misty raised an eyebrow. "How did you forget about it? Wasn't that the whole reason you ran off in the first place?"

"Yeah, but then I found a girl who was hurt, and I was looking for you guys with her."

"A girl?" Leaf cocked her head curiously. "Who?"

"Right here!" Ash turned around to where Serena was standing. Or _had_ been standing. She had joined the rest of the group again, not wanting to draw attention to herself, or get scolded for being separated from the group like Ash had been. She was watching Ash and his friends talk from afar.

"Well, Ashy-boy? Where is she?" Gary inquired, smirking, sure that Ash was just making it up.

"Hm, I don't know. She was right here, really! Her name was... Wait, she didn't tell me her name!"

"You were just imagining things, Ash!"

"No, I wasn't!"

Gary and Ash began having an argument, which lasted the rest of the hike. Serena, though, couldn't help but think of how nice the boy had been. Never give up till it's over, he had said. Maybe she shouldn't give up on the fact that camp might not turn out to be that bad.

* * *

Later that night, they were all back at the campsite, with tents set up, and a bonfire which they all sat around, roasting marshmallows.

Serena smiled to herself as she watched Ash stick multiple marshmallows on his stick, enthusiastically telling one of his friends about how eating a bunch of marshmallows at once tasted better than just one.

_Maybe, with friendly campers like him, this week wouldn't be too bad,_ she thought as she nibbled her own marshmallow. She glanced at the handkerchief which was still wrapped around her knee.

Well, she had decided that she wasn't going to give up on this week just yet.

* * *

**When I got a suggestion to do a camping chapter, this scene from the anime came into my mind. It seemed to fit! And thus, the chapter was written!  
**

**Please review, and thanks for reading!**

**Bye bye for now! Have a magnificent day, and smile all the way! :)**


	42. School Play

**Hello everyone! Sorry for the late update. School's been keeping me very busy, and cutting down on writing-time.**

**200\. This story has reached over 200 reviews! This is awesome, so thank you so much everyone! :D A huge thank you to you all, and not just reviews, but also to everyone reading this! All of you are amazing!**

**I present to you today's topic, as suggested by _Ready to Fly_!**

**Disclaimer: I do not own Pokemon in any way, shape or size!**

* * *

**School Play  
**

**Grade Three  
**

**May (8), Drew (8), Dawn (8), Gary (9), Misty (9), Ash (9), Paul (9)**

"Today's the day!" Dawn said to everyone excitedly. "Mrs. Primm tells us our roles for the play today! Oh, I hope I got the starring role of the princess!"

"I'm probably going to be the main hero, the prince!" Gary bragged. "I'm the best one to play it!"

"Aw, but I want to be the prince!" Ash said. "I never get those kinds of parts! Remember last year? I had to be a tree!"

"And you messed that up!" Gary laughed in remembrance. "Didn't you trip, and make all the other trees fall too?"

"No need to worry, Ash!" Dawn quickly assured the black-haired boy. "I'm sure you'll do much better this year!" She was feeling empathetic, as she too had ruined a play back in kindergarten, when she had had to be a Slowpoke. Something she would have liked to forget.

"But everyone's gonna get so many lines to memorize," May reminded them. "So everyone's gonna get to be on stage!"

"That's only because we all have to sing so much, no matter what we are," Drew pointed out. He flipped his hair, smirking. "You know, I really don't get how trees would sing, but the only reason we'll have singing trees and singing Pokemon is because there aren't enough parts for all of us. Some of us are going to end up being something boring. You guys shouldn't get your hopes up! There are so many of us, but too few main roles. None of us might end up getting to be anyone important!"

"That's good. That means I'll probably end up being a rock or something. And I don't wanna be some pretty-boy prince," Paul said, shrugging.

"At least I might not end up being something girly, like a princess or anything. Or else I might have to wear a frilly dress!" Misty shuddered. "My sisters would never let me hear the end of _that_!"

"She's here!" Dawn quickly hushed everyone when their teacher entered the room.

After greeting everyone, Mrs. Primm began announcing the roles. Some students ended up being peasants, while others became Pokemon, or things like trees.

"Drew Hayden," Mrs. Primm said suddenly, catching the boy's attention. "You will be playing Tree #3."

Drew blinked. "Wait, I have to be a tree?" Gary snickered.

"Yes. Don't worry, you'll have plenty of lines for when you sing. Now Gary Oak," - Gary immediately ceased his snickering and became alert - "you will be peasant #5."

"WHAT?! I have to be a boring _peasant_?!"

"Gary, please behave. Ash Ketchum, you will be the main villain."

"Yes!" Ash punched the air. "I get a main part!" Gary looked shocked.

"May Maple, you will be playing the princess."

"Yay! I get to be the princess!" May cheered. Dawn looked a bit disappointed at this, though, while Misty looked relieved.

"Dawn Berlitz, you will be the princess's loyal talking Skitty."

"Okay..."

"Misty Waterflower, your part is to be one of the main villain's henchmen."

"Hm. Fine by me."

"Paul Shinji, your role is the prince."

"The- wait, the... the _prince_?"

"And the role for the wise Noctowl goes to..."

As Mrs. Primm continued telling everyone their parts, the seven friends became engaged in a silent discussion.

"I can't believe it!" Gary muttered furiously. "I have to be a peasant. A _peasant_!"

"I get to be the villain!" Ash said excitedly. "And Misty, you're my henchman! You have to help me rule the world! Muahahahahaha!"

"Sure," Misty rolled her eyes, but she was smiling. "It'll be pretty fun, though! And I think there is someone else you need to be your second henchman. Who do you think that's gonna be?"

"Yes! I get to order _two_ people around!"

"And you're a tree, Drew!" May said, giggling. "I think you already look like one! Your hair's green, like tree leaves!"

"Well, you're the princess! The princess is gonna be pretty clumsy this year!" Drew retorted, as he flipped his hair, smirking, acting as if he didn't care. But really, he felt a bit disappointed that he had to be a tree while most of his friends got nicer parts.

May held herself up proudly. "No, she won't! The princess is going to be the most beautiful princess in the world! Dawn, you get to be my Skitty!"

"Yes, that's... nice," Dawn replied, forcing a smile on her face. She would have preferred being the actual princess rather than just her pet.

"Drew," Paul faced his friend seriously. "Do you want to ask Mrs. Primm if she can switch us? I don't think she was thinking properly when she decided to make me the _prince_ of all things!"

"Sure!" Drew agreed, acting casual, though he wasn't able to keep his eyes from brightening up a tiny bit.

"Hey, why aren't you asking _me_ to switch?" Gary demanded. Paul just ignored him.

* * *

Later, after class, the group joined up at recess.

"Well? What did Mrs. Primm say?" May asked curiously.

"She said no. We aren't allowed to switch our parts," Paul explained glumly. "Why am _I_ the prince? I don't wanna be the _prince_!"

"Being a tree won't be that bad." Drew shrugged as if it didn't matter.

"We have a lot of lines to memorize," Dawn said, looking a bit worried. "We should get started as soon as we get home. I'm just a Skitty, but I have a whole song I have to sing with the princess!"

"We can practise together!" May exclaimed enthusiastically. "You can come over to my house, if you want!"

"Sure! That would be a lot more fun!"

"Hey, can all of us come too?" Ash asked, with equal eagerness. "We can all practise our parts, and sing and all! And since some of us got the main parts, we'll have a bunch of scenes together!"

"Great idea! Everyone can come to my house, then!"

* * *

And so to May's house they went. They each took turns practising scenes and scripts. But the most challenging part was the singing. They came over to practise singing almost every single day.

The days passed by quickly, and soon, there were only a few more days left until the play. But their opinions on one another's singing abilities clashed.

"You're not sounding right," Drew said critically to Paul. "The prince is supposed to sound very strong and brave. He's not supposed to be muttering!"

"What about trees?" Paul shot back. "Trees aren't supposed to talk at all! _You're_ being too loud for a tree."

"I'm _supposed_ be a singing tree!"

"Because he's a magic singing tree!" May came to his defense.

The others stared at her, as there were no magic trees in the play. The plants and Pokemon were just supposed to sing alongside the peasants to make the songs sound louder and better.

"They should have just given me a main part," Gary complained. "I mean, Ash doesn't even sound scary like he should."

"I sound perfect! _You_ don't sound like a peasant! You sound like... like a Loudred! You're_ that_ loud!"

"All of you guys, stop arguing!" Misty ordered, hands on her hips. "We need to think about exactly how we sound, and then think of how we can improve. It's like swimming. You can't swim perfectly unless you know what you're doing wrong, so you can fix it."

"I think May and I sound the best so far," Dawn declared, referring to the duet the two had to perform. "But I think you guys need to sound a _little_ more like your characters."

"Yeah," May agreed, nodding. "Why don't we all try singing that very long song together? The one almost all of us have to do? Then, we can see who's in tune."

And so they tried, their practice stretched for days. After many more complaints, whining, adjustments, criticisms, more adjustments, suggestions, more criticisms, and finally, more adjustments, the group finally decided that they were perfect. It was a good thing too, because their singing had been taking days to master, and the play was going to be the next day.

The seven of them found themselves practising one last time. They all ended a song together, gasping for breath since they had so much to say, but pleased.

"Mommy! Daddy!" May suddenly noticed her mother, Caroline, and father, Norman, had entered the room. Caroline was smiling, while Norman was rubbing his ear for some reason, and looked irritated.

"Mommy! Daddy! Did you guys hear us practising?" May asked as she ran up to them, a huge smile on her face. "Weren't we good? Didn't we sound amazing, like the stars of the show?"

"Of course, dear!" Caroline didn't even bat an eyelash as she complimented them cheerfully. "You all sounded like such sweet angels!"

Norman gave his wife an 'Are you serious?' look.

"What about you Daddy?" May directed her attention to the man. "Did you think so too? Did you? Did you?"

"Well, actually- oomf!" Norman glared at his wife, who had given him a hard kick to stop him mid-sentence. She looked him in the eyes warningly, though her face continued radiating a super-happy look. Norman got the message, and awkwardly coughed.

"Yes, Princess, you and your friends sound absolutely... ahem, _fantastic_!" he praised.

May, who had missed the exchange between her parents, beamed. She ran back to her friends.

"Did you hear that? My parents thought we sounded great! Let's all sing like this at the play tomorrow! Okay, one more time. A one, two, three, FOUR!"

With their motivation and enthusiasm hitting the maximum, they continued their practise, not hearing the groan from Norman, or even noticing him leave the room in a hurry.

* * *

"Oh, I'm so excited!" Dawn squealed. She was wearing a pink Skitty costume that her mother had sewn for her. Admittedly, it looked really nice.

"I know! It's gonna be so amazing!" May exclaimed. "I'm still a bit nervous, though..." She adjusted the glamorous crown on her head, which went with the beautiful princess dress she was wearing.

Meanwhile, Drew was scolding Paul. "Paul, the prince should be standing up straight, and looking rich and fancy! Not _slouching_ like you are! Come on, just _try_ to do a good job!"

And Paul couldn't care less. "Hn."

Drew was wearing a foam tree costume, and because of that, his arms were within the tree trunk, and couldn't be used. Drew was walking quickly, but carefully, so he wouldn't fall. If he did, he might not be able to get up, since his hands were pretty much useless at the moment.

Paul was dressed up as the prince. One would say he looked quite handsome, if it weren't for the scowl on his face. And the fact that he was slouching. And looking around with distaste. He just didn't seem to match his costume.

Gary was dressed as a peasant, but he still appeared to stand out from the other peasants. After some negotiating with the teacher, he had managed to convince her to let him be a peasant who was wealthier than the other people, allowing him to wear a more attractive costume that stood out a lot more.

And then there was Misty. She was wearing a henchman attire, as was the other henchman, who was played by a girl named Angie. They stood on either side of Ash.

Ash had clearly gotten into the spirit of his character. He was wearing the villain's costume, as well as an evil grin. He had had his mother apply a tiny bit of face paint on his face to enhance his villainous appearance. It was his first time getting such an important role to play, and he wanted to be at his best.

They were all standing backstage, but they could hear the audience's chatter growing louder as more and more people filled the seats. May peeked from behind the curtain to see if she could spot her parents. Sure enough, she could see both her mother and father, as well as her little brother, Max, sitting in one of the middle rows alongside Ash's mother, Delia, Dawn's mother, Johanna, and Gary's grandpa, Professor Oak.

"Okay, everyone, places!" Mrs. Primm said. Everyone quickly got into position, and the curtain lifted.

It started off really well. The princess and her Skitty were captured by an evil villain who was laughing manically (too manically...), and were restrained by the henchmen as they begged to be released. The prince declared that he would save her, even if it cost him his life. Paul did a surprisingly great job for his part, even impressing Drew. No one guessed that the reason his quality of acting had drastically improved compared to practice was because his brother, Reggie, hadn't been able to make it, which mean he wouldn't be watching nor recording (which, apparently, made it less embarrassing).

Drew had to stand on stage for a long time with very little to do. It would have been boring, if he hadn't found it enjoyable to be able to watch the play the whole time, kind of like a spectator. But his arms were still feeling very cramped.

When the time came for the peasants (and Pokemon and trees) to sing a song about how they needed to protect the princess and assist the prince, Gary made sure his voice was the loudest, and could be heard the most among the rest. This, unfortunately, threw the whole song off tune, though Gary was deaf to his blunder.

The scene in which the princess and her Skitty were in the cell came, and the two sang a duet about how the prince would come and save them. Both were very proud of their performance, convinced that they sang beautifully, but May couldn't figure out why her father had an odd look on his face. She decided not to think much of it. He had probably been too amazed at their singing to react.

Later, they came to a scene where the princess was running through the forest with Skitty, having escaped the cell. The villain was in pursuit of them.

"Get her! Get her!" Ash (the villain) commanded his henchmen.

"Right away, Master!" Misty and Angie obeyed, picking up the pace.

"Hurry!" Dawn the Skitty called to the princess as she ran ahead, leaving the stage.

"You will never catch me!" May yelled over her shoulder at the villains. "The prince is on his way, and once he gets here, he's going to sav-"

And then she slipped. The hem of May's dress got caught in her foot, and she slipped.

Drew, who was the tree standing close by, saw it all happen in slow motion. May was about to hit the ground! He regretted calling her clumsy, because now, it looked like she was actually going to fall down. She'd be embarrassed if she fell in front of everybody in the middle of the play! And what if she got hurt?

With these thoughts running through his mind, the green-haired boy dove forward, landing on the ground right beneath May. The girl fell right onto Drew's foam tree costume, which cushioned her fall.

Getting over her surprise, May stood up quickly and awkwardly, and said thank you. This part was not in the play, and she had no idea what to do in the situation. Neither did Drew, so he decided to improvise.

"I-er-I'm the magic tree that helps the princess!" he blurted out. "I fell so I could save you!"

"Oh yeah!" May quickly caught on. "Yes, thank you magic tree! I have to run now!"

She hopped over him, and disappeared offstage, as she was supposed to. Ash, Misty and Angie got into the act too. They stopped when they reached the fallen Drew tree (who felt really uncomfortable in that position).

"Arg, this tree is in the way! We can't reach the princess! She escaped!" Ash hissed in an angry voice convincingly. So convincingly, in fact, that Misty and Angie began wondering if this were the same Ash Ketchum from their class. The scene ended, and the curtains closed briefly while they got ready for the next scene, with some of the actors having to help Drew stand up.

Later, they all (well, most of them) found themselves backstage, as the peasants sang a song about how they hoped the prince would successfully defeat the villain. May noticed that she could hear Gary's voice the most. Hm, maybe he was being a bit too loud...

"I don't feel like continuing," Paul complained moodily. His character changed every time he was offstage. "Why do I have such long parts? I feel like hitting something!"

"You will, pretty soon," Gary said, as he joined them, having finished singing. "The next scene is the prince fighting the villain! And you're supposed to win, so Ash has to let you hit him!"

Ash gulped, seeming more like himself rather than the villain for the first time since the play had begun. "Y-you're not supposed to hit me _that_ much," he said cautiously. "I mean, I know it's a toy sword you're using, but it might still hurt, so could you please only do it lightly?"

The smirk on Paul's face clearly said no.

* * *

Much, much later, the play finally ended. Everyone stood onstage as the audience treated them to a thunderous applause. After they got offstage, May hurried to her parents.

"Was I good?" she asked excitedly. "I think I sung the best I ever did before!"

"Of course you were, sweetie!" Caroline complimented, smiling. "And when you sang, I thought I was watching a real singer!"

"You were excellent, Dawn!" Johanna said to her daughter when the blue-haired girl ran up to her. "That's my daughter!"

"Ash, you did wonderful, dear!" Delia was saying to her son proudly. "I recorded the whole thing!"

"Fantastic! Best acting I've ever seen!" Professor Oak praised Gary, though the old man had actually dozed off halfway through.

"How is it that you people could stand that singing?" Norman muttered to himself.

"What, Daddy?" May questioned brightly, as she hadn't heard what the man had said (fortunately).

"Er, I said... I said, 'How is it that you kids could sing so well?'," he answered quickly.

"You really liked it? You _really_ liked our singing?"

"Yes. Yes, yes I did."

"I know! We should all have a concert!" May exclaimed. "We can all go to my house and sing for our parents! Can we, Mommy? Can we?"

"Of course, dear! It would be lovely to hear you sing again!" Caroline agreed. Norman stared at his wife skeptically.

"Sounds like a plan!" said Professor Oak.

"Yes, it would be great!" Delia chimed in. "You coming too, Johanna?"

"Sure! I'm free for the day."

"Wait-!" But before Norman could say what he wanted to, everyone had already begun heading for their cars, the children hurrying excitedly with them.

* * *

**And now, let's draw the curtains on another chapter! **

**Okie dokie, let's see... I'll try to update next during the weekend, but no guarantees, with school being so busy. But honestly, I think my updates have become pretty random and inconsistent... Oh well, as long as I manage to get you guys a new chapter at least once a week.**

**Please review, and thanks for reading!**

**Bye bye for now! Have a fabulous day, and smile all the way! :)**


	43. At The Beach

**Hi hi everyone! Somehow, I have finished this chapter, and so I thought I should post it. **

**Today's topic was suggested by a guest reviewer a long time back, and then it was suggested by a guest reviewer again recently. Funnily enough, I just reached this suggestion. So here it is!  
**

**Disclaimer: I do not own Pokemon in any way, shape or size!**

* * *

**At The Beach  
**

**(Summer before) Grade Two  
**

**May (7), Drew (7), Gary (7), Ash (7), Misty (7), Paul (7), Leaf (7)**

There was one more week left until school started again. True, May and her friends were excited of the fact that they were going to be in grade two now, but they were also a bit disappointed that summer was about to end. And then, a very significant point was made.

They had not gone to the beach all summer.

Of course, the seriousness of this situation was acknowledged by all seven friends, and they proposed that the upcoming Saturday be the day they would spend time by the ocean. Arrangements were made, and that weekend, Ash's mother, Delia, and May's mother, Caroline, decided to take all of them to their destination, with Delia driving Ash, Misty, Gary and Leaf in one car, and Caroline driving May, Drew and Paul in another.

And so, May, Drew, Gary, Leaf, Ash, Misty, and Paul all arrived at the sandy ocean shore. The sun was shining, shells were cluttered all over the sand, and the gentle waves were just begging them to come over for a swim.

After a minute of standing there, admiring the area, May spoke.

"So what are we going to do first?" she asked excitedly. "We can build a sandcastle, or go swimming, or-"

"Let's build a sandcastle!" Leaf said. "I want to make a very big one!"

"Not as big as mine's gonna be!" Gary said instantly. "I'll make a bigger, better castle than you can ever make!"

"No you won't!"

"Yes I will! Wanna have a contest?"

Gary and Leaf both ran off to find suitable spots where they would create their masterpieces.

"I'm going to go swimming!" Misty declared. "Anyone want to come?"

"I'm in!" Ash pumped his fist in the air enthusiastically.

"Yay, swimming!" May cheered.

"I'm going to go take a nap," Paul said bluntly, walking to a spot under a beach umbrella, where he laid his beach blanket.

"Yeah, I feel like relaxing in the sun at the moment," Drew said, as he settled down on a beach chair, arms folded behind his head.

"Come on, guys, let's go swim!" Misty urged, immediately getting into the water.

"Hold on, I brought a beach ball! Lemme go get it!" May ran off, coming back with a huge, colourful ball in her arms.

"I know! We can play a game!" Ash suggested. "We have to pass the ball around, but we can't drop it in the water!"

The other two agreed, and the game began. They passed the ball around for a long time, until an argument broke out concerning the rules of the game. Ash had been trying to catch the ball when Misty had thrown it, but when he had succeeded in doing so, he had fallen backwards into the water, ball in his arms. Misty had announced that he had lost a point since the ball had touched the water, but Ash protested because he argued that the rules saidt they weren't allowed to _drop_ the ball, and he hadn't dropped it.

Eventually, Delia and Caroline called all of them over for lunch, which put their quarrel on hiatus. May, Ash and Misty left the water, dried off, and sat at the picnic mat the two women had lain out. Gary and Leaf took a break from their contest, coming over as well, their stomachs growling. Paul and Drew left their relaxation to get a bite to eat.

They all munched on the sandwiches they had packed, and snacked on strawberries, and enjoyed smoothies. The second they were done, Gary and Leaf ran back to their castle competition, though Leaf remembered to turn around and yell thank you to May's and Ash's mothers as she left. Paul lazily took his smoothie back to his beach blanket, and Drew decided to go for a walk.

The green-haired boy was strolling around when he noticed the colourful shells that littered the sand. He bent down to examine them.

"What are you doing?" May, who had been heading back to the water with Ash and Misty, inquired curiously.

"These shells are pretty cool."

"Yeah! They're so pretty! I wanna make a shell collection!" She immediately began gathering the best-looking shells in her hands.

"Aren't you coming?" Misty asked.

"You guys can play without me. I want to collect shells!" May replied.

"Can we use your ball?" Ash asked.

"Okay, but don't lose it!"

"Okay! Thanks!" As Ash and Misty began heading for the water, Delia called her son back.

"Ash, you didn't put on enough sunscreen!" Delia scolded.

"What? No, I did!"

"Hm... No, it doesn't look like it. You look a teeny tiny bit tanner than before."

"Mom, I did!"

"Ash, you know you can get sunburned! Hold on, I'll get more sunscreen."

"_Mom_!"

As his mother began forcing him to apply more sunscreen on his face, arms and legs, an embarrassed Ash muttered to Misty to go on ahead. Mostly because he didn't want her to stand there when he was being submerged in a layer of cream.

While Misty was heading to the shore, she noticed something.

The waves.

The waves had become huge! They glistened in the sun as they rose up high, and then came crashing down with a huge splash. They seemed to be calling her, and Misty felt the temptation of answering to their summons, and running off into them, swimming with the waves. But she knew that wouldn't be a good idea.

The waves were much bigger than before, but they still weren't _that_ big. Normally, their size would be deceptive, making people believe they could easily handle them. But Misty knew waves, even small ones, could be very powerful, and drag you out to sea.

Suddenly, a colourful round object caught her attention. It was May's beach ball! They had left it by the shoreline, and now it was being carried away by the tide! Misty and Ash had told May they wouldn't lose it, but they would if the tide caught it. Misty and Ash were responsible for it, so a rescue mission was in order!

Misty ran to the water, and dove in. She stubbornly swam against the waves that were pushing her back, and succeeded in grabbing the ball. With the ball under one arm, it became harder to swim back, but Misty was up for the challenge. Suddenly, there was a yell.

"Misty!" It was Ash. He was running toward her, eyes wide in panic. Misty felt a shadow fall over her, and she turned around to find that there was a wave about to come down.

_Great._

It threw her off her course, and opposing the current was no simple task. She managed to bring her head out of the water, coughing, but all right, the ball still in her possession. She would have swam back with little difficulty... if it hadn't been for one thing.

"Misty, are you all right?" Ash. Apparently, he had jumped into the water after her, and was beside her now.

"Yeah, I'm fine," she assured him.

"Come on, I'll help you!" Ash, determined to help his friend, tightly held onto her upper arm, and began dragging her with him, heading for the shore.

But Misty hadn't needed any help. If anything, this was making it even harder for her to swim.

"I'm fine, Ash!" she insisted. "I can swim by myself! Let go!"

But he didn't, because in the next instance, they were submerged completely by the water, as a wave crashed down on them. Ash struggled to pull himself to the surface, but he didn't realize that the reason this was so hard for him was due to the fact that he was still holding onto Misty. It was preventing the both of them from swimming properly.

Gasping, the two finally emerged, and the black-haired boy tried to valiantly drag his friend to the beach.

"Ash, let go-!" Misty attempted to say once more.

However, she felt something different. Yes, it was a hand that had grabbed her arm, but it was much bigger and gentler than Ash's. She found herself being pulled to the shore. She and Ash coughed and spat out the salt water that had entered their mouths. Finally, Misty looked up to see who it was.

"Are you two all right?" It was Ash's mother. She had brought both her and Ash to the shore. "You two shouldn't have gone out so far! What if you hadn't been able to come back?"

"I was saving Misty," Ash explained. "She got caught in the waves!"

"I was _fine_!" the ginger-head insisted. "I would have been able to come back perfectly if _you_ hadn't come along!"

"No way, I saw you! You couldn't come back, and got pushed so far away! You were trapped!"

"No, I wasn't!"

"Ash," Delia interrupted. "If it had looked to you that Misty was in trouble, you should have come to me, a grownup, instead of jumping in as well! What if you had gotten stuck too?"

"I was fine..." Ash mumbled.

"No, you weren't!" Misty piped up. "You were the reason we couldn't get back!"

"No, I-!"

"That was some amazing swimming, Delia!" Caroline complimented, walking up to them, looking relieved. "It was a good thing you could swim so well!"

"Well, you _are_ looking at an ex-lifeguard! Many years back, I was a lifeguard for about a month or two before deciding I wanted to run the Pallet House Restaurant instead."

Ash and Misty had brief fantasies of the woman before them as a lifeguard, swimming out to rescue someone on a surfboard.

Gary and Leaf suddenly began walking toward them, both arguing about something. May and Drew, their arms full of many different shells, were following after them.

"Did you guys have the contest?" May asked.

"Yes! And _I_ won!" Gary declared irritatedly.

"No you didn't!" Leaf crossed her arms. "My castle was _way_ better!"

"Why don't you guys show them to us, and we can decide," Drew suggested.

"That's the thing. We can't." When Drew looked confused at Leaf's statement, she elaborated. "We finished making our castles after lunch, and then went to do something else. Were going to ask you guys what you thought of our castles, but then, when we came back, our castles had been washed away by a wave! Now, we're castle-less!"

"Oh. That's too bad," May said sympathetically. But then she beamed and held out her shell collection enthusiastically. "Look at all the shells Drew and I found! Aren't they so pretty?"

"I found most of them!" Drew said smugly, as he placed his shells into a plastic bag Caroline gave him and flipped his hair.

"I helped too!" May pouted.

"You know, I think it's about time we go home," Caroline announced. "It's getting late."

Delia agreed, and despite the kids' protests, they all began packing up. Soon, they were in the parking lot, about to board the two cars. When suddenly...

"WAIT!" May shrieked. "We forgot Paul!"

There was a pause, and then everyone's eyes widened in realization. They all immediately turned around (only one of the parents really needed to go bring him, but the excited kids wanted to go as well), rushing back to the site where they had been set up. Paul was still dozing under the beach umbrella, although he was... buried in sand?

"Um, Paul? Wake up. It's time to go." Delia shook him awake. A groggy Paul opened his eyes, only to find he couldn't move.

"What the-!" He tried and failed to get up. "I'm buried in sand!"

Gary and Leaf burst into laughter.

"Sorry, we couldn't help ourselves!" Leaf managed to say as the others got to work releasing him from his tomb. "We were done building our castles after lunch, so after you fell asleep, we just had to!"

The second he could move again, Paul abruptly stood up, sending sand flying everywhere. He glared at the two culprits.

"Oh, you are going to regret that!" he hissed.

"Run!" Gary yelled, and the two took off, Paul in pursuit. The others just stared after them.

* * *

Finally, they were all boarded in the two cars, ready to head for home.

In Caroline's car, May and Drew were comparing and trading their shells, while Paul continued to look grouchy over the getting-buried-in-sand incident. In Delia's car, Ash and Misty were arguing about whether Misty had needed rescuing or not, while Leaf (who had somehow escaped Paul's wrath) was giggling at Gary, whose hair was filled with sand from when Paul had caught up to them.

Overall, it had been an eventful and quite satisfactory day at the beach.

* * *

**Ah, the beach! So wonderful, the beach!  
**

**Okay, so, so far, what I do when I receive a suggestion is add it to a list of suggestions, and then write on those topics in the order I get them. However, when I receive multiple suggestions from one person, I find that it might not be fair that I'm doing only their suggestions for a long time. So starting from the next update, here's what I'm going to do:  
**

**I'm going write down all the suggestions I receive. But if I get multiple from one person, I will pick just one topic that I get from him/her and write on that before moving on to the next person. But don't worry! I'll come back to the other topics too, eventually. I just want to make sure I write for at least one topic for different people, so they get a chance to see their ideas being used.  
**

**I just thought I'd tell you guys that, in case you're wondering why I'm taking so long to get to some suggestions. So yeah. **

**Okie dokie, now that that's said...**

**Please review, and thanks for reading! **

**Bye bye for now! Have a splendiferous day, and smile all the way! :)**


	44. Gary And The Cupcakes

**Hello everyone! I am so sorry for updating late! School's just keeping me so busy! I hope I can eventually make up for the lateness, but currently, school has conquered nearly all of my free time. But, against all odds, I'll try to emerge victorious!  
**

**Okay, some of you might have noticed that I posted a one-shot a while back, and might be wondering how I had time for that but not for this. Truth is, I didn't. I had started that one-shot a long time beforehand, so I only needed a short while to polish it off before posting it. But for this, I update once a week, so I usually have only a week to write a chapter, so if I don't get time during that week, I have to update late.**

**Enough of my blabbering! On with the chapter!**

**Here is today's topic, which was suggested by _Veronica17_! One Gary-focused chapter coming up!  
**

**Disclaimer: I do not own Pokemon in any way, shape or size!**

* * *

**Gary And The Cupcakes  
**

**(Summer before) Kindergarten**

**Gary (5), Leaf (5), Ash (5)**

Gary worked meticulously as he applied more vanilla icing. The usual arrogance was absent from his eyes, replaced by a focused gaze, as he steadily worked, moving the spoon back and forth, spreading the icing on the top of a chocolate cupcake.

Finally, he straightened out, and observed the little treat before him. He cocked his head thoughtfully. It didn't look as neat as when his sister did it, but it would have to do. Anyways, he had done the best he could on it, as this one was for his bestest friend Leafy. Actually, he had done a much better job on the one he had prepared for himself. Carefully, he set the cupcake off to the side, and got to work on the next one.

He and his older sister Daisy had worked together (with Gary doing most of the work, in his opinion) to bake twelve delicious-looking chocolate cupcakes. However, after she had taken them out of the oven, Daisy wouldn't ice them, saying they were still too hot. After waiting patiently (or rather, impatiently), when they had finally cooled down, Gary had asked his sister if they could ice them now.

But his sister was busy. She hadn't even bothered waiting! Instead, she had started chatting with a friend on the phone, and irritatedly told her brother to leave her alone, not even listening to what he was saying.

The injustice! Gary knew that when his sister got her hands on the phone, she could talk for _years_, nonstop. At least, that's what it seemed like to him. So what was a five-year-old boy supposed to do?

Which was why, he had gone and taken out the box of cream himself, and, with a spoon, gotten to work. After all, Leaf was going to be here soon. There was no way he could present her with an incomplete cupcake! That would be a horrendous crime!

Done. He was done icing his fourth cupcake. He placed it next to the other three he had already finished with. There was one for himself (of course), one for his grandpa, one for Daisy, and last but not least, one for Leaf.

He smiled proudly at his work. He had done it all by himself, without even Daisy's help! Too bad there wasn't anyone there to praise him for it. Oh well. He'd brag about it to someone later.

***Ding dong***

The bell rang, and the spiky-haired boy ran at top speed to the door. His best friend was here! She was finally here! His grandpa, Professor Oak, was already opening the door.

"Hello, Delia!" the man greeted.

"Hello, Professor!" a woman's voice said in return.

Gary froze. Delia? It didn't sound familiar. Although his grandpa might have mentioned it once...

"And hello! You must be Ash!" his grandpa continued. Gary scowled as a cheerful-looking black-haired boy entered, smiling widely.

"Hi, Professor Oak!" Ash replied.

"Gary!" The scientist's attention was drawn to his grandson. "Why don't you invite Ash in? You two can play together!"

Gary scowled and folded his arms. _He _didn't want to play with the boy! He had never seen this new kid before in his life! His grandpa just always expected him to get along with everyone his age, but in truth, Gary always found that other kids had minds of their own, and usually messed up his fun. No, he'd rather have all of them playing exactly the way _he_ wanted them to. That way, he could play the way he wanted, and maybe have other people playing with him without ruining everything. The only one whose company he legitimately enjoyed was his next-door neighbour's, Leaf's.

"Go on, sweetie, go play with your new friend!" Delia encouraged her son, who enthusiastically went up to Gary.

"Hi!" he said, waving.

"Hmph!" was Gary's only response.

"Wanna play?"

"No! I don't want to play with _you_!" Gary thought he looked like the type who would mess everything up.

"Oh..." Ash looked a bit disappointed. He sheepishly rubbed the back of his head while the two stood in silence. The grownups had already gone to sit in the living room, so they were both standing by themselves now.

"So what're we gonna do?"

"Nothing! _You_ do nothing! _I'm_ gonna make cupcakes!"

Ash's eyes lit up. "Cupcakes? I want one!"

"No!" Gary was getting irritated. Those cupcakes weren't for just anyone; they were for the four most special people in the world! He wasn't going to just hand them over, especially to someone he had never met before!

"Please?"

"No!"

"... Can I make some too?"

"_No_!"

***Ding dong***

Gary's eyes lit up. Leaf was here! Forgetting about the other boy, he ran to the door, eager to greet his best friend.

Meanwhile, Ash just stood in place, watching him as he ran. He wondered why he had gotten so excited all of a sudden. Maybe someone else was coming over too. Ash grinned. He would love to make another new friend!

As Ash began heading to the door, he was distracted by a delicious smell. A chocolatey scent was flowing through the air, calling him to the kitchen. Ash hesitated. Gary had told him he couldn't have the cupcakes, but it wouldn't hurt if he just went to look, right?

He found himself standing in the kitchen, staring at a batch of freshly baked chocolate cupcakes. Four were iced in vanilla cream, and were set off to the side. They looked _sooo good_...

"Ash, honey, where are you?" Ash snapped out of his trance when he heard his mother call him, and he hurried off to answer to her call.

She was standing next to Gary's grandpa at the front door, and looked ready to leave. She gave him a cheery smile when he arrived.

"Ash, I need to go run some errands. You don't mind staying here with Professor Oak for a while, do you?"

"Okay, Mom!"

"And you can have fun with Gary and his friend while you wait!"

"Yeah!"

"Bye, sweetie!"

As she left, Professor Oak spoke up.

"Well, Ash my boy, why don't you go have some fun with Gary? He went to his room with his friend Leaf! I'm sure the three of you will have a great time!"

Ash thought so too. The man led him to Gary's room, where the spiky-haired boy was talking rapidly to a girl his age with brown hair and green eyes.

"Now you three have fun!" Professor Oak said as he left, not wanting to disturb their play.

"Hi!" Ash said brightly, waving.

"Hello!" Leaf greeted in a bubbly voice. "What's your name?"

"I'm Ash!"

"I'm Leaf!"

"Leafy, let's _play_," Gary grumbled, not liking how Ash had taken the attention off him.

"Whatcha guys playing?" Ash asked curiously.

"We don't know yet," Leaf answered. "You wanna play too?"

"No!" Gary spoke up. "He can't play with us! He doesn't know the rules!"

"What're the rules?" Ash wondered.

"You can't ruin my fun, and you have to do what _I_ want to do!" Gary answered hotly.

"But that's not fair!" Ash protested.

"I didn't know those were the rules." Leaf crossed her arms, frowning. "You never said so before!"

"Because we always play fun stuff, so I never had to tell you," Gary justified.

Leaf huffed, but let it go. She didn't want to waste her time being angry. "What do you wanna play?"

"I don't know..." Gary rubbed his chin thoughtfully.

"Let's play hide-and-seek!" Ash suggested energetically. "It'll be so much fun!"

"No! I don't think it will be!" Gary declined, not because he didn't want to (as he thought it was a very fun game), but rather because he didn't want Ash to be the one choosing. _He_ wanted to be the one to pick what they were going to play.

"I think it'll be fun," Leaf interjected, siding with Ash to Gary's disapproval. "Right, Gary?"

"N-no, it won't!" Gary was stubbornly holding his ground. He did want to play, especially after Leaf made it clear she did as well, but his stubborn nature prevented him from agreeing.

"Then we'll play without you," Leaf proclaimed, a knowing glint hidden in her eyes. She knew Gary would submit sooner or later.

Gary's mind was in turmoil. He was used to having his way. He was Gary Oak! He always deserved the best, everything from being the one to pick the tastiest looking treat, to always getting what he wanted. And, most importantly, always being the one to decide what to play.

"Come on, Ash!" Leaf gestured to him to follow. "We'll play hide-and-seek by ourselves! Who's gonna count first?"

"But it won't be that fun with only two people," Ash pointed out.

"That means I _have_ to play," Gary said quickly, seeing his chance. "I don't wanna, but I have to, 'cause it's the rules."

"It is?" Ash inquired, puzzled. He couldn't remember any rule saying you had to have more than two people for hide-and-seek. Nevertheless, when Gary did not answer, he decided that it must be true.

"Who's counting?" Leaf asked.

"Ash can count!" Gary declared. "Cuz he was the one who said we should play this."

"Um, okay..." Apparently, Ash didn't really have a choice in the matter.

As he began counting, Leaf and Gary ran off to find the perfect hiding spots. Gary ran into he living room, where he squeezed himself in the small space between the back of the sofa and the wall. No one would ever find him there! He always was the best hider!

A while later, he heard Ash complete his counting to ten, and say, "Ready or not! Here I come!"

_But you won't find me! _Gary thought triumphantly. He was sure of it!

After a while of waiting, Gary was starting to get bored. His back was aching from crouching over for so long, and he really wanted to shift out of the position. But if he did, he might get found! But still, he hadn't even heard Ash yell out "Found you!" to Leaf yet. Was Ash just that bad at finding?

Suddenly, he heard some giggles. They sounded like both Ash and Leaf. He frowned. Wait... so had Leaf been found? Why weren't they searching for him?

Finally, his curiosity got the better of him, and he left his hiding place, heading for where the other two's voices were coming from. Which turned out to be his room. He scowled and crossed his arms when he saw what they were doing. They weren't even trying to look for him! All they were doing was sitting on his bed, talking and giggling at something.

"Hey!" he angrily got their attention. "I was waiting for you guys!"

"Wait, Gary," Leaf said distractedly. "I'm almost done telling Ash something."

"What happened next?" Ash asked eagerly, his mouth filled with a chocolate cupcake he was eating, his lips slathered with icing.

"Then, I said, 'Give up! Come outta your hiding place, Gary!' But he still wouldn't come, so his sister Daisy helped me look, and we found him. Do you know where he was?"

Gary's eyes widened in horror as he realized what Leaf was talking about. It was the time they had been playing hide-and-seek and...

"Where?" Ash urged her to continue.

"He was in a cupboard, but he was stuck in there!" Both Leaf and Ash burst out laughing.

"Leafy!" Gary whined, his voice mixed with outrage and embarrassment. He stomped his foot. "Don't tell him 'bout _that_!"

"But it was so funny!" Leaf giggled.

Gary's scowl became bigger, and a faint tinge of pink appeared on his cheeks. As much as he liked seeing his friend happy, he did _not_ like her laughing at his expense! Suddenly he noticed Ash. Or rather, what he was eating.

"Where d'ya get that cupcake?" he questioned, dread filling his stomach.

"In the kitchen," Ash answered as he took another bite.

"You didn't tell me there were cupcakes, Gary," Leaf accused her friend. "I want one too!"

Gary, however, was more focused on Ash. "I told you you couldn't have one!" he yelled at him.

Ash thought for a bit, recalling what he had said before. His eyes widened in remembrance. "Oh ya... Sorry..."

As quickly as he could, Gary ran to the kitchen, Leaf and Ash following closely behind. He scanned the frosted cupcakes, and sure enough, the four cupcakes he had frosted were now down to three. What was worse was the fact that it was the one he had prepared for Leaf that Ash had eaten.

"Ash, you ruined it!" Gary screamed furiously. "That one wasn't for you!"

"Gary, what are you yelling about?" an exasperated voice said. Daisy had just entered the room, apparently having finished talking on the phone.

"He ate a cupcake!" Gary pointed at Ash.

Daisy raised an eyebrow. "So? There are plenty of cupcakes."

"But it wasn't for him! It was one with cream on it!"

"Oh, did you ice some yourself?" Daisy picked up one of the iced cupcakes. "This looks good." To Gary's horror, she proceeded to take a big bite out of it.

"That one wasn't for you!" Gary hollered. "It was for Gramps!"

"What was for me?" Professor Oak showed up at the scene. His eyes twinkled when he saw the baked treats. "Oh, is everyone eating cupcakes without me?" He picked up another one of the frosted ones and began eating it.

"That one was Daisy's!" Gary was on the verge of throwing a full-blown tantrum!

"Where's mine?" Leaf demanded. "I want one too!"

Gary realized what his dilemma was. There was one frosted cupcake left, but it was the one he had made especially for himself. He had put _extra_ cream on it. But Leaf hadn't gotten a cupcake yet, because Ash had eaten hers! What was he supposed to do? There only seemed to be one option, but it wasn't one he liked. But at the same time, he didn't want to leave Leaf without a treat...

"Here," he said glumly, handing Leaf the last iced cupcake in self-sacrifice. "You can have it."

"Thank you!" Leaf chirped, not knowing that it had originally been meant for the boy.

As she began eating, she addressed him. "Where's yours?"

"I don't have one," Gary said grouchily.

"Oh, you want a creamy one too?" Daisy said, putting down the one she'd been eating. She picked up one of the plain cupcakes and, with a spoon, applied a large dollop of cream on the top.

"Here you go!" she said, handing it to her brother.

Gary took it instantly, and began wolfing it down without a thank you. His sister always put extra cream on his, because she knew that was exactly how he liked it.

***Ding dong***

"That must be Delia," Professor Oak said as he walked to the door. And sure enough, it was.

"Ash, honey, it's time to go!" she called, and her son came running up to her hurriedly.

"Hi, Mom!"

"Oh, look at you, having so much fun with your new friends!" she gushed. "Now say thank you to them for having you over!"

"Thank you!" Ash waved to everyone.

"Say, we should have Ash come over another time!" Professor Oak suggested.

Gary shook his head, but Leaf happily agreed with a "Yes!"

Gary scowled. He would have to put up with this Ash-boy again. And Ash had _not_ left a good impression on him!

As Ash and his mother left, closing the door behind them, Leaf spoke up.

"C'mon, Gary, let's go play!"

"Okay!" The two hurried off to Gary's room.

Now that the other boy was gone, Gary would be able to have fun with his friend all by himself! And he was definitely looking forward to that!

* * *

**And that's that! I decided to make this chapter one where Gary and Leaf meet Ash for the first time. It seemed to fit the story!  
**

**Sorry again for the late update. The upcoming week is going to be busy for me as well, so I'll try to update on time, but there are no guarantees.**

**Anyways, thanks for reading!**

**Bye bye for now! Have an incredible day, and be sure to smile all the way! :)**


	45. Book Fair Week

**Hello, everyone! Here is the next chapter. Yes, it was a late again (a result of being busy), but I hope I manage to get the next one to you guys on time. But for now, ****sit back, relax, and enjoy the read!**

**The topic for today was suggested by my sister! **

**Disclaimer: I do not own Pokemon in any way, shape or size!**

* * *

**Book Fair Week  
**

**(Kindergarten)**

**May (5), Drew (5), Gary (5), Paul (5)**

Book fair! It was book fair week!

Every year, May's school had a book fair for one week in November, during which the library was transformed into what was like a mini-bookshop. There were tables and shelves covered in books and small interesting things like erasers and bookmarks, all so that students could buy them.

Since May had just started this school in kindergarten, she had never gone to a book fair before. When the teacher had told everyone about it, she had been excited! It would be like going to a small store and buying things all by herself, without even her mother there to help her! It wasn't like just picking something from a table, like she did at bake sales, because there would be such a large variety of merchandise to choose from, and there was a cash register with a cashier and everything!

It was going to be one great week, May was sure.

_Day One: Monday_

On the first day of the book fair, May's teacher, Ms. Kelly, decided to take the class to the book fair so they could have a look around. They were allowed to buy stuff as well, if they'd brought money. May had forgotten to for today, but she would remember for next time.

"Wow!" Gary exclaimed, picking up a book. "This _so_ cool! It has so many pictures of Pokemon in it!"

"I have a book like that," Paul said. "But it has _way_ more Pokemon than that one."

Gary scowled. "I have one like that too," he claimed. "I was just looking." He put it back, not wanting to appear as if he wanted it.

"What're you looking at?" May chirped as she joined Drew while he explored some small, colourful things on a table.

"Bookmarks," he answered. "Look! These are 3D!"

May admired the colourful bookmarks, and moved on to examine the interesting pencils and pens, and the erasers that were shaped like other things, like Pokemon and food. She particularly liked a pen that could write in more than one colour. It was like having many different pens in one! She would bring her money to buy it tomorrow, she decided.

_Day Two: Tuesday_

May skipped to the book fair excitedly. Her kindergarten class had just ended, and she and her mother were heading for the book fair to see if there were anything to buy. May paused when she saw that there were so many other kids there too now, all much taller than her. But she bravely went in anyways.

She pushed through the crowd, making her way to where she had seen the multi-coloured pen. Except... it wasn't there anymore! She searched frantically, but with no avail.

"Mommy, it's gone!" she cried desperately. Her mother smiled.

"Oh, don't worry, honey, they probably just ran out. Think of it like this: while you may have not gotten it, someone else did, and that made them very happy. Doesn't it feel nice, thinking that there is probably a very happy student out there, who is enjoying that pen right now?"

Honestly, that only made May feel worse, because _she_ wasn't the one enjoying it. But she let it go, nodding at her mother's wisdom instead.

"Can I buy something else?"

"Of course, sweetie."

However, May had to go home empty-handed. It had been much too crowded, with all the towering students preventing her from being able to see what was on the shelves. Not to mention the fact that they ended up having to leave quickly because her's two-year-old brother, Max, was starting to cause a fuss.

_Day Three: Wednesday_

Ms. Kelly decided to take the class to the book fair again for good behaviour. This time, May was ready, and had enough money to buy a book with her.

She browsed through the selection. There were so many different books she would have loved, but to her dismay, she didn't have enough money for most of them. All of her friends seemed to have found something, though. Drew was flipping through a few books, no doubt wanting to have a new book for which he could use his new 3D bookmark. Paul was reading a book that was bigger than the usual picture books in their kindergarten class. And finally, Gary was trying to take every interesting thing he could get his hands on, and currently, his hands were pretty full. Maybe May should have asked her mother for extra money...

Suddenly, she spotted what looked like a picture book. It had a picture of a fluffy Swablu on the front cover, and she could see the price tag from where she was standing. It looked very interesting, and she had enough to buy it!

Unfortunately, it was on such a high shelf, and it was just out of reach. She tried to retrieve it, but failed. Her teacher was helping another student with his purchases, and explaining to him he didn't have enough money to buy what he wanted, so May didn't want to disturb her. She tried again, but unfortunately, she hadn't had a sudden growth spurt in the last few seconds.

Gary, who was picking out some books from the same shelf, appeared beside her. He was taller than her, and May knew he'd be able to reach what she wanted. She asked him to with a big smile on her face.

"Gary, could you get that book for me?"

Gary reached out, and picked it up, looking at it thoughtfully.

"Thanks!" May said as she held out her hand. But he didn't give it to her.

"I wasn't taking it for you. It was for me!" he said, adding it to the collection in his arms as he walked away. May was crestfallen.

Soon, Ms. Kelly announced they were leaving soon. At the last minute, May discovered a red cell phone-shaped eraser. It reminded her of her mother's cell phone, and she bought it happily. At least she had gotten one thing she liked from the book fair!

_Day Four: Thursday_

May found herself back at the book fair with her mother after kindergarten class was over. While she had adored her cell phone-eraser, and had taken really good care of it, Max had somehow gotten a hold of it, which had led to its destruction. May wanted to see if they had any more of them left at the book fair, but they had run out.

"How about this?" Her mother picked up a nice book that had a picture of a girl holding a Mareep on it. "It's called, 'Going to Sleep with Mareep'."

"No..." May wasn't too interested in it. She scanned the merchandise, frowning. It seemed like most of the good choices were gone.

She spotted her friend, Paul, from the corner of her eye. He was in line to pay for a book he had selected, while his older brother Reggie stood nearby, chatting with a girl with short pink hair.

"Hi, Paul!" May greeted as she went up to him. "Whatcha buying?"

"This." Paul showed her the cover of the book. "It has lots of stuff about legendary Pokemon in it. My Pokemon book at home doesn't have a lot of legendary Pokemon."

"Where d'ya find it?" May asked curiously. It looked very fascinating, and she could spot the pictures of some cute-looking legendaries on the cover. It would be fun to read!

"Over there." Paul pointed to a far away shelf.

"Are there more?"

"I think so..."

"Thank you! Bye!" May hurried off to where he had pointed, and sure enough, there was one more copy of the same book left. May felt lucky, as it was the last one.

"Mommy, I want this one!" she exclaimed, taking it to her mother.

"Great choice! Come on, let's go pay for it, then."

The two got into line, and soon (or, actually, not so soon, since it was a pretty long line), they were at the front. The cashier told them the price, and May's mother began searching through her purse. Her eyes widened.

"Oh no," she said, worrying May. "It's not in here!"

"What's wrong, Mommy?" May inquired anxiously.

"My wallet's not here! I must have left it in my other purse. I have some cash, but it's certainly not enough for this..."

She sighed, closing her purse again. "Oh May, honey, I'm sorry! I guess we'll have to come again next time."

"But tomorrow's the last day!"

"I'm sorry, May. How about I bring you here tomorrow too, and you can spend as much time as you want deciding on what to buy?"

May had no choice but to agree.

_Day Five: Friday_

Last day. Today was the last day. It was either buy something from the book fair today, or don't buy from it at all. Of course, there were plenty of real bookshops in town, ones that had an even wider selection than the book fair, but May felt the book fair was special. She wanted to buy something from her first book fair.

All of her friends had bought something. Drew had bought both a book and a 3D bookmark to go with it. Gary had bought multiple things, like pencils, erasers, picture books, and a bookmark as well. Last, but not least, Paul had bought his book on legendary Pokemon. But May? All she had was that currently dismantled cell phone eraser, which didn't count, because it had lasted for less than twenty-four hours.

And so, she was determined to find something, _anything_, to buy. Her choices were limited now, since most of the things had already been sold, but she knew that if she looked hard enough, she would find at least _something_.

And so, she was now back in the book fair with her mother. Her baby brother Max was there too, but her mother was looking after him. And he was mostly quiet.

"Um, can I buy that?" May pointed at a thick book which had a picture of a jewel on the front cover.

"You wouldn't want that," her mother said. "It's for big kids, and there aren't any pictures in it."

"Oh... Can I buy this, then?"

"That's a big kid book too. And, er, I don't really think you should read it."

"Mommy, you keep saying no!"

"Honey, I want you to buy something you will enjoy. You won't enjoy these books. They're all for big kids."

"You can read them to me, and tell me what's going on."

"But some of these books have things that aren't for kids your age."

May cocked her head. "Like what?"

Her mother decided to ignore the question, and instead picked up a different book. "What about this? This looks like a fun one!"

"But I don't want that one!" May folded her arms crossly. Her mother kept picking baby books. She wasn't a baby! Maybe _Max_ would like them, but not _her_.

Her mother was apparently thinking the same thing, because then she said, "I'll buy it for Max, then."

May desperately searched, but with no avail. Finally, she was ready to give up.

"I don't wanna buy anything," she said sadly.

"Oh, come on, May, you'll find something!"

"No, I won't."

"Why don't we ask the cashier if there is something she recommends?"

May dragged herself behind her mother as they walked over to the cashier. As the two grownups talked, May glanced around. After they would leave, she wasn't going to be able to come back until next year. She wouldn't get to explore the many shelves, or flip through the books, or pick out the little erasers and pencils and bookmarks. And she wouldn't get to buy anything.

Her mother was talking for a long time (in May's opinion, at least), so naturally, she got bored. She idly picked up a book from a nearby shelf, and started opening it. It had an attractive cover that, while it didn't have any words on it, was covered in pretty designs. It was quite thick, so May figured it was probably another one of those big kid books.

Or so she thought.

When she flipped through it, she was surprised to see that all of the pages were blank. She immediately showed it to her mother.

"Mommy, they made a mistake! There is noting in here!"

Her mother glanced at it. "It's a diary, May. They didn't make a mistake. You can draw or write in it yourself."

"They sell diaries here too? I thought they only sold books!"

"A diary is a book too. You just fill it out yourself."

May thought for a moment, and then smiled, her eyes glittering. "I want it! I want this diary!"

"You sure?"

"Yes!"

"Okay, I'll buy it then!" Her mother was relieved that her daughter had finally found something she wanted.

"No, I want to pay for it!" May's mother handed her the money, which she proudly presented to the cashier herself. After collecting the change, May happily hugged her new book.

It was a souvenir from her first book fair! To her, it was one special book, and she was planning on reserving it for when she wrote special things. Yes, she felt she had just bought the most specialest book in the world, and just in time too, as today had been her last chance to.

When she took it home, she decided to write in it for the first time. While she wasn't very good at writing, she could draw, so she drew herself buying the diary. It was an excellent drawing, she knew. Maybe she should just become a writer, since she was already sort of writing her own book.

That night, she muttered good bye to the book fair as she tucked her new book under her pillow and drifted off.

* * *

**Poor May. Not the best book fair experiences, huh? **

**(Some of those experiences may or may not have been based on my own book fair experiences from when I was little. I'm talking about the times she couldn't reach a book and asked someone else to help, but didn't end up getting the book anyway because the 'helper' decided to keep it for himself, and the time she bought the cell phone eraser and had it destroyed. Rest in peace, cell phone eraser.) **

**Thanks for reading!**

**Bye bye for now! Have a fantastic day, and smile all the way! :)**


	46. Pizza Night At Drew's

**Ahem… Hi everyone. Ehehe… haven't seen you guys in a while, huh? ('In a while' is an understatement.)  
**

**I have excuses- cough cough - I mean, reasons! I'll just skip to the main ones, which were that my Wi-Fi went out for a long time, and by the time I could re-access it, I had school's burden to carry. And trust me, it's heavy! But hey, school's going to end somewhere in June, so in about one and a half months, meaning I'll hopefully get more time to write during the summer.  
**

**Thanks for being patient, everyone, and sorry for disappearing for so long. So anyways...**

**I decided to do something a bit different for this chapter. I'm going to try to make it in the first person! It's not going to be from the point of view from any of the main eight, though, but rather someone observing them. You'll see.  
**

**_jg13145_ asked for the explanation for Drew's cockiness, and the idea I got for this chapter, I realized a guest reviewer had asked for a chapter on that topic. So in a way, I combined the two ideas together, and here is the result!**

**Disclaimer: I do not own Pokemon in any way, shape or size!**

* * *

**Pizza Night at Drew's  
**

**(Summer after) Grade Four**

**Drew (10), May (10), Ash (10), Misty (10), Paul (10), Dawn (10), Leaf (10), Gary (10)**

Hello. My name is Alfred Alastair Maximus. Hm? The name does not strike you as familiar? Well, that doesn't surprise me, as while I am around most of the time, I often go unnoticed. Or, perhaps, you just have not heard my name being said before, as I am quite certain you must have noted me at some point.

I, Alfred Alastair Maximus, am young Master Andrew's butler.

Being a butler is not as simple as you may think, especially when your boss is currently a ten-year-old boy who is slowly growing more and more independent (meaning he thinks he can manage to do everything on his own), and, to a certain degree, rebellious.

Hm, perhaps _rebellious_ is not the right word. Haughty? Arrogant, maybe? That, combined with his growing independence, makes him much more prone to want to go _against_ what I say. Which is probably why the word 'rebellious' comes to mind.

The perfect example of his cockier attitude would be that night he invited his friends over for a pizza party, when I could easily take note of his increased arrogance since, let's say, kindergarten. Now, while I do not mind most of his friends, there are a few that I am not particularly fond of. And, from what I've seen, these few have not been a very good influence on the young master. I highly suspect that they have something to do with the shift in his attitude. Not that I have a say in it.

And so, this pizza night. I, being Andrew's butler, was made to order multiple different kinds of pizza. Which, might I add, was not an easy task, what, with the constant nagging of the young boy, as he told me _exactly_ which toppings he wanted, and continuously changed his mind as he remembered that a friend would or wouldn't like one of the choices.

"A cheese pizza, then, Master Andrew?" I said to him as I held the phone to my ear. We had already decided on the pizzas beforehand, but Andrew had suddenly been having second thoughts while I was ordering. I could hear the man who was taking our order becoming impatient, since we were taking such a long time. I felt his pain.

Andrew was leaning against the wall beside me, his arms folded, and a thoughtful expression on his face.

"Yeah, I guess," he said. "You know, maybe you could have olives on the fourth one we're ordering."

"Could we have olives on the fourth pizza-," I began saying into the phone.

"Actually, no," Andrew interrupted. "Or maybe... okay, yeah, olives, and no tomatoes."

"As I was saying, olives, but no-"

"You know, tomatoes wouldn't be too bad. Hm, guess that's a yes to tomatoes, then. How about some peppers as well? But wait... Misty doesn't like peppers, though, does she?"

And we went on like that for the next half hour. Or maybe it was a full hour? One thing I have learned during my time as Andrew's butler is how to be very patient.

It wasn't that he was being impolite at any time. To tell you the truth, he always seemed polite and calm when by himself. It was only when he was around others did his arrogance emerge. But nevertheless, his requests were sometimes very... how should I put this? Well, they seemed to demand too much at times. But with the stoic demeanor I always had to retain, I don't think he ever realized how much of a trouble he sometimes was.

And so came the time for his friends to arrive. They all came one by one, and soon, the Hayden residence included seven more ten-year-olds than it usually did.

"Wow! I can never get over how huge your mansion is!" exclaimed Dawn, Andrew's blue-haired friend. "If I lived in a place like this, I don't know what I'd do!" Dawn was a bubbly girl with good manners and tidy habits. I had to say, she was probably one of the friends that received my full approval.

"Yeah, well," Andrew flipped his hair, smirking, "you get used to it." See? I told you his cocky attitude starts up whenever he's around friends.

"Yeah, Drew, you're so lucky, living here!" Ash marvelled. Ash was a nice young boy most of the time, although he did have his dense moments. Ever since his tenth birthday, he's always had a Pikachu perched on his shoulder whenever possible.

"Pika pika!" said Ash's Pikachu, probably agreeing with him.

"So is the pizza here yet?" May asked excitedly. May was one of Andrew's earliest friends, back from when he was in kindergarten. She was a sweet girl, although she could get riled up, and was clumsy, and a little clueless sometimes.

I didn't really have anything against May, but one of the few I did was the fact that Andrew always said she adored red roses, which was the reason that every year for her birthday, he would give her a bouquet along with whatever other gift he bought her. Doesn't sound too bad? Think again. He insists on giving her freshly-picked flowers from the thorny rosebushes in his mansion's gardens. Guess who has to pick and then de-thorn those roses.

"Yeah, the pizzas!" Ash chimed in.

"You guys, always thinking about food…" Misty muttered, voicing my thoughts. Misty was a hotheaded young girl, with a quick temper, but she seemed fine most of the time.

"Well, it is a _pizza_ party. Can't have a pizza party without the pizza!" Leaf chirped. Leaf was one of the friends I was wary of, but only mildly so. She was an energetic, clever girl, but at the same time, her eyes sometimes held the shine of mischief, something that made me keep an eye on her. But it was really Andrew's final two friends I had to watch out for.

"Well, the pizza guy said he's going to deliver them in about an hour." Andrew shrugged. "Don't know why it's taking so long. I only ordered about six."

"Seven, Master Andrew," I corrected. I knew because, after all, _I_ was the one who had ordered them.

"Seven? You better have one with super-spicy peppers as well! Unless, of course, you're too scared to try a spicy pizza!" That was Gary, a clever, mischievous, egotistical boy, whom I didn't particularly like. He spent his time pulling pranks, bullying his friends (usually Ash) into doing something he wanted them to do, and just causing mischief in general.

"Yes, I _did_ order a spicy one, as a matter of fact!" Andrew said irritatedly. "I almost didn't, because I know Misty doesn't like peppers, but then I decided to order a separate pepper-less pizza as well!"

Hm. I always noticed how Andrew had lately started thinking ahead. It was a good thing, as he always thought of what one friend would and wouldn't like, but at the same time, I noted how he would try to avoid being picked on by Gary. Not that Gary was especially mean or anything, but he had a habit of pressuring him into doing things he'd rather not do. I guess part of the reason Andrew had become so cocky was because he was trying to keep himself up at Gary's level, so he wouldn't seem soft in front of him. And Gary wasn't exactly the best of influences...

"I bet you won't be able to eat it!" Gary taunted.

"Oh, we'll see about that!" Andrew said, flipping his hair. "Get ready to lose that bet!"

There was a scoff, coming from Paul. Paul, like Gary, was a boy I preferred to distance myself from. I saw him sometimes as Gary's partner in crime, more so when he was younger, though. Somehow, he was slowly becoming much quieter, and less prone to starting up shenanigans. Andrew had told me a while back that he was becoming much more focused on training for when he became a trainer than anything else, so maybe that was the reason. Needless to say, I still exercised caution.

"What?" Andrew said defensively, turning to his purple-haired friend. "I can eat spicy food!"

"Come on, guys, let's go do something while we wait," Misty spoke up, probably to avoid an oncoming argument on whether or not Andrew could handle anything spicy.

Eventually, they decided on watching a movie, a harmless activity that I approved of, as all they had to do was sit and stare at a screen. However, I did get the feeling that this made my job easier, and that was something that never happened. Meaning I knew something would go wrong at some point.

And my prediction was accurate. It seemed _choosing_ which movie to watch was not as easy as one would think.

"Oh, oh! This one!" May said, picking up one of the choices. "I've wanted to watch it for so long!"

"Hey, that's _The Meowth and the Purrloin!_ I watched it before!" Dawn exclaimed. "I love it so much! The Meowth prince, the Purrloin thief he falls in love with; it's so _romantic_!" Both girls sighed dreamily.

"That one?" Gary scoffed. "No way! What I want to watch is _this_!"

"Okay, I'm with you on not watching the love-story one," said Misty, "but there is no way I'm watching _Ursaring's Claws_! I'm not scared of watching horror, but I've heard that one's nothing but bloody chaos."

"Come on, guys, let's just watch something like, oh, I don't know..." Ash scanned through the selection, and picked one up, "this one! _Torterra Mountain_! It's about a bunch of people who are trying to prove a legend is true, so they go to a mountain called Torterra Mountain, and, uh, try to prove the legend is true, I think. I heard it's really good!"

"Why not watch _Ursaring's Claws_?" Andrew teased. "Too afraid?"

I raised an eyebrow. This was exactly the kind of attitude that had sprung up in Andrew lately. Maybe it came from the constant teasing from Gary and Paul, who used to say Andrew wasn't very tough. They really had rubbed off on him, hadn't they? Of course, I didn't say anything.

"No!" Ash protested. "I just... Everyone might not like it, so it might be best if we all watch something everyone would like!"

"Pika!" Pikachu agreed.

After a few more arguments, they finally settled on a movie Leaf had decided on, one called _Serven and Catty_. From what I'd heard, it was about a Servine, Serven, who teamed up with a Skitty named Catty to defeat villains, or something along those lines. Just as it was starting, however, the bell rang.

"The pizza might be here!" Andrew said, immediately exciting his friends. They all rushed to the dining room, abandoning the television.

After paying the delivery boy, I had to carry all seven pizzas to the table. Everything else was pretty much ready, so all I had to do was open up the boxes, and allow the wave of pizza scent to conquer the room. And my uniform. I would probably smell like pizza for days.

"Hey, can you get us more plates?" Andrew asked me. "We're short a couple. We need two more. "

"Right away, young master," I said, leaving the room, heading for the kitchen. One of the maids must have forgotten to put the right number of plates when setting the table.

I retrieved the plates from an apologetic maid, and began heading back. Before I even reached the dining room, where Andrew and his friends were, I sped up, as I heard something that was probably a sign that my job had to increase in difficulty. It sounded as if some of the kids were arguing loudly. I finally made it to my destination, and what I saw made me freeze.

There were puddles of spilled juice, as well as a full, sad-looking upturned pizza on the floor. A huge bottle of soda pop was lying on its side on the tabletop, with a tiny stream of the soft drink pouring out from the half-opened bottle cap. The kids? They all were yelling at one another. How had all of this occurred in the two minutes I wasn't there?

"Pika! Pikachu pika pika! Pikachu!" Ash's Pikachu was saying angrily at Gary.

"Yeah, what Pikachu said!" Ash shouted in equal fury.

"I don't even know _what_ your electric mouse said!" Gary yelled back.

"Guys, stop fighting right now, or I'll make you! I brought Starmie with me, just for your information!" Misty looked at the both of them threateningly.

"Yeah, come on guys!" Dawn chimed in. "You two already ruined one of the pizzas!"

"The poor pizza!" May sobbed. "Rest in peaceful pieces!"

"Gee, April, getting so worked up about one little pizza," Andrew said, smirking, causing May's temper to flare.

"You, obviously, have no idea how much I value my pizzas, Mr. Hayden!" she yelled at him.

Meanwhile, Leaf was calmly eating her slice of pizza, watching the scene with an almost invisible smirk on her face (had she been the cause of this?), and Paul was protectively holding his glass of orange juice in his hand instead of placing it on the table, lest it end up fallen like the other glasses.

"M-master Andrew!" I finally managed to say aloud, grabbing everyone's attention. "What is the meaning of this?"

Immediately, the group ceased its squabbling, trading the furious atmosphere for a very guilty one.

"Oh," Andrew said, looking ashamed. "Well, you see, Gary-"

"Hey, it wasn't me!" Gary interrupted. "Ash just began blaming me for no reason!"

"Who else could it be? Only you would do something like that!" Ash accused.

"The poor pizza! If you two hadn't been fighting, it wouldn't have ended like this!" May howled.

"May, just stop," Misty said, growing irritated at her wailing.

"Guys, can't we just all forget about that, and just-" Dawn tried to say. But her words were quickly lost within the sound of Paul's raised voice.

"ENOUGH!" he bellowed. His friends fell silent as he stood up, his eyes enraged. "Be quiet, all of you! Do you even realize what you guys are doing?"

He gestured to the chaotic table. To be honest, I was surprised that he had noticed the mess they had made, and wanted to prevent the situation from getting worse.

"You see that?" He pointed at the spilled soda pop on the table. "You _see_ it? That is a puddle of wasted soda pop! Do you realize that that could have been the fate of the orange juice?"

Oh. Right. So it actually turned out that he wasn't worried about the mess that had been made; rather, he didn't want the others to accidentally cause his favourite drink to go to waste. Andrew and his friends looked as though they couldn't care less about the juice, and were more concerned about the fact that their pizza party was being ruined, but they didn't dare say anything to oppose Paul's words, as his glare kept them all silent.

Finally, Leaf spoke. "You know, guys, Paul's right. We shouldn't fight over some small silly thing! Come on, let's clean this up."

"But Gary-" Ash began.

"Don't worry, Ash, Gary does that kind of stuff all the time. You can let it go, right?" Leaf said casually. Gary looked like he was about to protest, but a few words from Leaf telling him to forget about it, and he became moodily quiet.

I couldn't help feel a bit suspicious of that green-eyed girl. Leaf had been acting perfectly calm and nonchalant for the span of the whole situation, as if the fight hadn't bothered her. In fact, if anything, she gave me the impression that she had been enjoying the little blowup. I'll probably never know the truth behind it, and it didn't look like I would find out about the basis of the fight either (since they had decided to let it go), but nevertheless, I knew I wouldn't be able to shake the suspicion that Leaf might have had something to do with it.

"We can clean this up," Dawn offered in a small voice. I sighed.

"No, I'll take care of it," I said. "Master Andrew, you and your friends can go eat while watching your movie. Just don't cause any more messes."

The eight of them did exactly as I told them. I, on the other hand, made an attempt to clean up the mess myself, before calling a maid or two for reinforcements. After that, I went to see whether the eight were behaving or not. They were, fortunately. They were watching the movie while munching on their pizza slices, and it seemed everything was going on perfectly without trouble. Good.

"No! Don't do it!" I heard May whisper, her eyes glued to the screen in suspense.

"You seriously are into this movie, aren't you?" Andrew whispered to her, smirking.

"It's a good movie!" May whispered back loudly.

"Shh! Keep it down! We're trying to watch!" Misty said, struggling to keep her voice low.

"Drew keeps bothering me!" May claimed.

"I only said _one_ thing!" Andrew insisted.

"Sshh!" It was Dawn this time. I braced myself for any further quarreling, but for once, it actually didn't come. They were all much more focused on the show they were watching. Huh, must be a good movie.

Finally, the movie ended, and the eight got up, stretching, and chatting about how they liked it. Suddenly, Gary spoke up.

"Hey Drew," he said, grinning, "didn't you say you were going to eat the spicy pizza too?"

"Oh, right," Drew said calmly. "Yeah, I can do that."

"It's nearly time to leave, and I want to prove you wrong, so you might as well do it now!"

"With pleasure."

They all gathered around as Andrew took a slice from the spicy, pepper-covered pizza. It was the pizza that had the most left over, so searching for remaining bits was not a problem.

Slowly, lifting it to his mouth, Andrew took a large bite, and chewed. After swallowing, he took another. There was disappointment on Gary's face on how easily his friend was finishing the slice, but I could see signs that clearly showed it was taking every ounce of Andrew's strength to not dive for a glass of water. Finally, he swallowed the last bite, and wiped his hands on a napkin.

"See? Easy. It was really good," Andrew said nonchalantly, flipping his hair, a smirk on his face. "I mean, it might have been too spicy for _you_ to handle, Gary, but for me, it was... meh."

Gary's eyes narrowed. "Give me that!" he ordered Leaf, pointing at another slice, which she eagerly handed to him. Immediately, he shoved it into his mouth, and his eyes widened.

"N-no... trouble at all!" he choked out, trying to continue eating. Finally, he swallowed the last bit, and said, "I need to wash my hands..." A pretty feeble excuse for him to abandon his position to run off and wash his mouth of the spiciness.

While everyone was distracted by all of this, Andrew frantically turned to me, gesturing for me to get him something to drink. I understood, and left for a minute and came back the next with a small glass of milk (since milk works better than water when nullifying spice). His friends were still distracted by something else at the moment, making Andrew feel free to rapidly chug down the drink I had brought, wipe his mouth, and then calmly walk back up to the group.

"Gary can't do something he thought I wouldn't be able to do, huh?" Andrew said smugly. Even though I knew that in truth, he had cheated by drinking milk to prevent himself from having his mouth feel like it was on fire.

"Hey, can I have some?" May took a sliced, and wolfed it down with no trouble at all. "Hey, you were right, Drew, this is great!" she said. "Drew, come on, have another!"

"Oh, no thanks, July," Drew said. "I'm too full."

"That means I get to have some!" Ash exclaimed. But he stopped quickly to grab a drink when he accidentally bit into a small piece of Tamato berry. Leaf joined in too, and seemed fine as well. However, it didn't appear she particularly liked the flavour.

A short while later, after Gary had returned, the time to leave came round. One by one, all of Andrew's friends left, and soon, we were back to only one ten-year-old in the Hayden residence. One who was evidently tired, since it was late now.

"That was fun," Andrew said yawning. "But I think I'll go to bed now."

And thus, I followed him to his room, not looking forward to the cleaning-up I would have to do afterwards.

* * *

**Chapter 46: done!  
**

**Sorry again for the super-late update everyone. But like I said, school's becoming very busy, and it's hard to find time to write. So my updates probably aren't going to be once a week anymore. Well, at least for now. When school ends, hopefully, I'll get more writing time! In other words, don't expect immediate updates.**

**Thanks for reading!**

**Bye bye for now! Have a superb day, and smile all the way! :)**


	47. The Runaway Orange Juice

**Hello, people of planet Earth (unless you're from a different planet, in which case... I KNEW IT!). **

**Here is chapter... which chapter is this? Forty-something? *Someone whispers something in my ear* Forty-SEVEN? Wow! It's nearly been a year since I started this, and we've reached chapter forty-seven! It would be interesting to see how far I get the day this story turns a year old. That day would be July 5. Hey, I should have a countdown until this story's bir- um, I mean, start-day! Right now, there are 49 days, so about seven weeks. Wait, why am I rambling? On with the story!  
**

**Today's topic was suggested by ****_PokeSpeBanette_!**

**Disclaimer: I do not own Pokemon in any way, shape or size!**

* * *

**The Runaway Orange Juice  
**

**Grade Two  
**

**May (7), Ash (8), Gary (8), Leaf (7), Misty (8), Paul (8), Drew (7)**

It was Ash's birthday. Yes indeed, Ash Ketchum had turned _eight_ years old! Naturally, this meant he needed to have his birthday party the following weekend (since school prevented it from being during the week).

So on Saturday, Ash invited his best friends, May, Misty, Leaf, Gary, Drew, and Paul, over to his house to celebrate. The party wasn't nearly as loud and rambunctious as Gary's birthdays were, as, unlike Gary, he didn't invited the whole class. But nevertheless, the seven of them felt it was pleasurable to the maximum.

After enjoying games, and jokes, and pretty much all the fun things one does at a birthday party, it was time to eat. Ash cut the cake excitedly (with supervision from his mother, Delia), handed out slices to those who wanted them (Paul didn't). After gathering more food like pretzels and chips and pizza and vegetables and fruits (Delia insisted that they eat healthy food as well) in their plates, they all settled down to eat on a plastic mat on the floor, as the table didn't have enough room for seven people.

"This is so good!" May said dreamily, finishing off the last bite of her cake.

"There's a lot left over, so you can have more if you want!" Ash offered enthusiastically.

"Yay!" May cheered, getting up to run to the table, where she tried to cut herself another piece.

"Gotta say, Ash, today was a lot of fun!" Leaf said, grinning.

"Yeah, it was!" Ash said. He then noticed Drew getting up. "Where are you going?" he asked Drew.

"I'm going to go get myself something to drink," the green-haired boy answered. "I'm kinda thirsty."

"Get me something too," Paul ordered in a bored voice as he popped a pretzel into his mouth. "Get me some orange juice."

"You know, you can get it yourself too," Drew pointed out. "It'll be kind of hard for me to handle two glasses of juice at once, so it'll be better if you get yours yourself."

"Just get it," Paul said, not caring about his friend's reasoning. Drew frowned, but reluctantly obeyed.

"You know, now that I think of it, you always drink orange juice," Misty noted.

Paul shrugged. "So?"

"Yeah, you're right, Misty!" Ash chimed in. "I never really thought of it that much, but you _always_ drink orange juice!"

"So?" Paul repeated, showing visible signs of annoyance.

"Really? I never noticed," Gary commented, a spark of mischief lighting his eyes.

"_I_ noticed," May said, as she walked back to where she had been seated with a plate with a huge cake slice in it. She sat down. "You guys didn't notice before?"

"I did. It's like you're obsessed with orange juice, Paul!" Leaf giggled. "Whenever there is orange juice, you have some! It's like your thing!"

"Yeah, like Drew's obsessed with flipping his hair!" May laughed. Paul just gave the girls an annoyed glare, but they continued giggling at their jokes.

"Um, guys? A little help here?" Drew called out. He was holding two cups of juice, one in each hand. However, the thing that was causing him trouble was the fact that the carton of orange juice (which was closed, fortunately) had fallen off the table, and Drew was trying to prevent it from landing on the ground by using his foot to hold it against the leg of the table.

"Okay," Gary said, smirking in a way that immediately made Drew alert. The spiky-haired boy made his way to his friend, and, instead of helping him out, gave him a little push, making him lose balance, and thus drop the cups he was holding. The juice spilled on the carpet, creating a large, visible stain.

"Hey!" Drew said angrily. "You made me drop my apple juice and Paul's orange juice! Now my shirt is wet, and there is juice all over the carpet!"

"Pour me some more!" Paul called differently from where he was seated, not caring about Drew's misfortune.

However, Gary was not done with his pranks. He grabbed the orange juice carton, and then jumped back from his friend. With an impish look on his face, he yelled out to Paul, "No orange juice for you!"

This brought a look of surprise on Paul's face, as he had evidently not been expecting to be denied his favourite drink. His surprised expression was short-lived, however, as it was soon replaced by one of anger. He stood up, facing Gary, who was cautiously keeping his distance.

"Give me the orange juice," he demanded.

"Nope!" Gary smirked.

"Gary..." Paul began approaching him dangerously.

"Yes?" Gary gave him a mockingly innocent smile... and then bolted. He darted off, attempting to escape an oncoming Paul. Paul sped after him, furiously shouting at him to hand over the carton.

"Gary, come back here right now!"

"And let you catch me? No way!"

"We're not playing tag! Give me the carton!"

"You'll have to catch me first!"

The two ran all over the house, going in circles. The others watched, May apprehensively, Ash unsurely, Misty exasperatedly, and Leaf amusedly. Drew, on the other hand, was too busy cleaning up to care. Finally, Gary was cornered. His back was facing a wall that had a window, while Paul was standing in front of him, only a few steps away. There was no escape, no way to run without getting caught.

"You thought you could get away with it?" Paul said quietly, but menacingly, as he slowly began drawing nearer. "Hand over the carton, Gary Oak, or face my wrath. Don't mess with me when it comes to that citrus juice that you have clutched within your grasp."

Gary's face reflected his confusion. "Huh? What?" he said, his eight-year-old mind not recognizing one of the words that had just been spoken. "I thought this was orange juice, not citrus."

Paul rolled his eyes. "Orange is a type of citric, Gary Oak!"

"How do you know? You're as old as me, and I never heard that word ever!"

"I know, because I know all about orange juice. It's a serious thing!"

"You really are obsessed..."

"Give it to me!"

Gary's eyes flickered around, but he saw no escape. Until a clever idea popped into his head.

"Catch!" he said, acting as if he were about to throw the carton. This stunned Paul for about a second, during which Gary tossed the carton out the open window behind him, shocking Paul further. He then dashed past his stupefied friend, scrambled to the front door, and hurried out. It took a moment for Paul to regain himself.

"GET BACK HERE!" he roared, running out as well.

The other five nervously looked at one another, and then went to the window to see what was going on outside. Gary was picking up the carton (which was still miraculously in perfect condition) from under the window where it had landed, and then, when Paul was heading for him, he began running down the street like a maniac, with an enraged Paul in his pursuit.

"Did someone go outside?" Delia appeared suddenly, having apparently heard the front door opening. The kids were surprised she hadn't heard all the commotion as well, but maybe she had thought they were all just playing.

"Um, yeah, Gary and Paul," Ash answered, rubbing the back of his head.

"Hm..." Delia looked a bit worried. "You should tell them to come back inside. You guys shouldn't be leaving the house without telling me, especially since I told all of your parents that you all will just be staying in the house."

"Yeah, but we'll have to catch them. They're running fast!" Leaf explained.

"Why are they running?" Delia asked.

"They're, um, playing tag!" Ash blurted out.

"Oh. Well, it would be tough to catch up to them, then."

"I can do it," Misty offered. She was a fast runner, after all.

"Yes, that would be a great help. Thank you, Misty!"

"No problem, Ms. Ketchum!"

Misty went to the open front door, and positioned herself, so that she was turned in the direction Gary and Paul could be seen running. As speedily as a Sharpedo, as swiftly as a Vaporeon, and as smoothly as a Milotic, she took off. She ran faster and faster, her speed accelerating by the second, until she had nearly caught up to the boys.

"Hey! Ms. Ketchum wants you two to come back!" she yelled out to them.

"N-no... can... do!" Gary puffed between gasps. "Paul's... going... t-to get me!" Misty couldn't understand how he could keep running, as he looked exhausted. Maybe the terrifying Paul was a great motivator.

"G-get back here!" Paul gasped, clearly drained as well. But apparently, his orange juice was too important to abandon.

Misty huffed in irritation. It looked like she would have to drag them back herself. All because Gary was just too stubborn to give up the carton of orange juice to his friend. Misty suddenly realized that since the juice was the cause of all this, all she had to do was take it from Gary, and then they could all go back. With a burst of speed, she passed Paul, and arrived beside Gary. With one hand, she snatched the carton away from him, causing him to shout out in indignation.

"Hey, that's mine!" he said, still running.

"No, it's not!" Misty said. "Oh, and you guys can stop running now. I have the juice, and I'm taking it back to the house."

"Can't stop!" Gary said. "Paul wants to get me for taking it!"

"Yeah, I want to make him pay for taking the orange juice!" Paul said angrily.

"Oh, come on! You _do_ want your juice, don't you? Or should I drink it all?"

That got a reaction. Paul slowed to a stop, huffing and puffing. He scowled as he eyed Misty. "Fine!" he snapped. "Give me the carton!" Misty handed it to him, and he began walking back, breathing heavily.

Gary stopped as well, and watched his purple-haired friend warily, as if he were going to suddenly turn around and start chasing him again.

"Come on!" Misty ordered. "Ms. Ketchum wants us back."

"Okay," Gary said as he began walking, his eyes trained on Paul just in case.

The rest of the party had no more escaping Garys or chasing Pauls. In fact, the two were so exhausted from all running, that they could hardly get up from the sofas they flopped down on. Well, at least Gary was still alive, and Paul got his orange juice.

The group learned a valuable lesson that day. Never take Paul's orange juice away from him.

* * *

**I can't believe I actually managed to update today! I was expecting that I would end up posting this chapter next month or something, because I have so many tests and stuff for school. **

**Just a heads up: my school year is slowly coming to a close (four weeks left!) which means exams will be coming soon, and that means I'll be very busy doing school stuff, so I might not be able to update soon. We'll see, though. Hopefully, I'll get at least some free time! But don't have your hopes high on reading the next chapter next week.  
**

**Thanks for reading!**

**Bye bye for now! Have a sublime day, and smile the whole way! :)**


	48. The Word

**Hello everyone! It's been a while, huh? Guess what! My exams have been completed, and summer holidays have begun! Yay! I might still be busy (doing other stuff that fall into the category of 'enjoying summer') sometimes, but I'll try to start updating once a week again. And if I can get you guys an extra update, I will. So thanks for being patient, and here is the next chapter!**

**Today's chapter wasn't a suggestion, but one of my own ideas. I hope you enjoy!**

**WARNING: ONE BAD WORD IS SAID ONCE. Well, it's nothing like a swear word or anything, and it was actually used in the Pokemon anime by, well, the same person who says it in here. And possibly some other people. But it's nothing super serious! **

**Disclaimer: I do not own Pokemon in any way, shape or size!**

* * *

**The Word**

**Kindergarten**

**May (5), Paul (6), Gary (5), Drew (5)**

Paul was sitting in his usual spot at his usual table, waiting for all his friends to arrive at kindergarten. Gary was already there, but Drew and May had yet to come. Paul had picked up a new word last night, and he couldn't wait to use it, but he wanted all of his friends to hear him say it.

A group of his classmates gathered at the door, looking at something in awe. Paul knew that meant Drew was here now. He always came in a long, fancy car, which the other students loved to admire.

In stepped the green-haired boy, and he made his way to the table where his friends were sitting.

"Now can you tell me?" Gary turned to Paul without even greeting Drew.

"No. May's not here yet," Paul answered.

"Tell what?" Drew asked.

"Paul says he learned a new word, but he won't say it until May's here," Gary explained glumly.

"Oh. What's the word?" Drew was curious now as well.

"Not telling." Paul loved keeping his friends in suspense. They stayed silent for a while, before Drew asked again.

"Please?"

"No." Politeness was not going to change Paul's mind.

"I already asked a zillion billion times," Gary grumbled. "He keeps saying 'no'."

"Did you say 'please'?" Drew questioned, knowing Gary never used polite words like 'please' and 'thank you'.

"N-no," Gary admitted. "But he's still not gonna tell."

"Hi Drew! Hi Paul! Hi Gary!" May's cheerful, bright voice signaled her arrival, and she sat down at the table.

"Drew and May are both here now. Now tell me!" Gary demanded.

"What?" May was confused as to what he was talking about, so Drew quickly filled her in on the word mystery.

Paul looked around at his three friends, who were focused on him eagerly.

"It's a big-kid word that my brother uses sometimes." Paul gave them a little background information that they weren't interested in. No, they wanted to know what the word itself was. Paul looked at each of them dramatically, before breaking the suspenseful silence by saying the secret word loudly and clearly, so that all three of them could hear.

"Stupid."

Paul watched their reactions in delight, as May gasped, Gary's mouth fell open and his eyes widened, and Drew just tilted his head to the side in puzzlement.

"Y-you can't say that!" Gary stuttered.

"Why? It's a big-kid word, and I'm older than you, so I can say it," Paul reasoned proudly.

"No! It's a bad word! _I'm_ not allowed to say it!"

"You're just not allowed because you're too little."

"Am not! Once, I heard someone say it on TV when Grandpa and Daisy were watching something. When I said it, they got angry and told me it was a bad word. I had to have a time-out."

"I'm not even allowed to _hear_ it!" May added, horrified at what her friend had just said. "Once, Daddy hit his toe, and he said that word about the couch. Then Mommy said 'Ssh! Not in front of May!'."

Drew had never heard the word said in front of him before, because that kind of language wasn't spoken at his mansion. He had heard it once or twice, but he never knew what it really meant. But judging from May's and Gary's reactions, it was a very bad word.

"Don't say it again!" May pleaded. "If Ms. Kelly hears, you'll have to go in a time-out like Gary had to."

Paul was starting to feel a little cross that his friends weren't amazed at his ability to use a big-kid word. It couldn't be a really bad word if his brother used it sometimes, right? Gary, on the other hand, seemed to be considering what May had just said. He grinned as an idea popped into his head.

"Ms. Kelly!" he yelled out. "Paul said a bad word!" He had a mischievous look on his face.

Drew looked nervous, as if he were scared that he'd get in trouble as well. May was shocked that Gary would tattle on his friend, and Paul just glared at him.

Ms. Kelly appeared at the scene. "What is this I hear?" she asked sharply. "Paul said a bad word?" May and Drew kept their mouths closed, but Gary nodded enthusiastically.

"Yes, he said a _really_ bad word!" Gary confirmed. Paul didn't break his glare.

"Well?" Ms. Kelly said quietly. "What word did he say?"

Gary hesitated. "I can't say it. It's a very bad word," he said finally.

Ms. Kelly turned to Paul, as if asking him to tell her himself. Paul wasn't one to crack under pressure, but, knowing that they weren't going to get anywhere if he stayed silent, he finally repeated the word.

Ms. Kelly gasped. "Paul, that is a very bad word! You are not allowed to say it, especially in this class! I'm afraid you are going to have to have a time-out."

The purple-haired boy's irritation at the situation turned to anger. This wasn't fair! He didn't say it because it was a bad word, but because he heard his brother say it. If Reggie could say it without getting into trouble, then why couldn't he? It didn't make any sense.

"Why?" Paul tried to be polite when he turned to his teacher. "Why can't I say it?"

"Because it is a very bad word. In kindergarten, and everywhere else, we use nice words."

"But it's not a bad word; it's big-kid word. My brother says it, and no one tells him not to." He was not going down (or in this case, to the time-out corner) without a fight.

"Well, your brother it much older than you. Sometimes, older kids use words like that, but it's not always a good thing. You are definitely not allowed to say it."

"But why? Why can big kids say a word, but other kids can't?" Ms. Kelly could see they were not going to get anywhere with this.

"I'm sorry, Paul, but it's just the way some things are. I want you to go to the time-out corner," she ordered tiredly.

Paul reluctantly began getting up, but made one last attempt to avoid this seemingly unfair punishment.

"Ms. Kelly," he said thoughtfully, "in time-out, we have to think about what we did wrong. But I don't know what I did wrong. I just said a word my brother says, and I don't think it's a bad word. Why does he use it if it's a bad word?"

This last attempt ended in success, because Ms. Kelly let out a defeated sigh. He was right; there was no point in giving him a time-out if he didn't even understand what he did wrong. He hadn't meant to be bad; he was just repeating something he'd heard. Ms. Kelly realized that no matter how much she would try to explain it, he wouldn't understand how him saying a word is wrong when his brother, who probably influenced him in many ways, said it. In the end, she decided it was best to have Reggie himself explain it to him.

"Alright, you don't have to have a time-out this time. But now you know that this is a bad word, so if you say it again, you _will_ have to go into the corner," Ms. Kelly warned. "Okay?"

Paul nodded as he sat down. May looked relieved that her friend didn't have to go sit alone in the corner, while Drew seemed impressed on how he had talked himself out of trouble. Gary just appeared to be a little disappointed.

* * *

The rest of the day went on without as much drama as in the morning, and soon, parents were coming to pick up their kids.

May's mother came and picked her up first, and Drew left soon after when his butler arrived with his limousine. Eventually, Reggie came to pick his little brother too.

As Paul made his way to him, he saw his teacher quietly tell Reggie something, which led Reggie to put on a surprised face, which turned serious as he approached.

"Paul," he said sternly. "Did you say a bad word today?" Paul thought for a second.

"Ms. Kelly says it's a bad word, but I don't think it is," he stated.

"Paul, if Ms. Kelly says it's a bad word, then it is," Reggie said in a final sort of way. But Paul wasn't done.

"I don't think _you_ think it's a bad word either."

Reggie shook his head. "No, I _do_ think it is. Your teacher told me what you said, and you aren't allowed to say it again."

"But if it's a bad word, then why do _you_ say it?" Paul argued. "Like, yesterday, when you were talking to Maylene on the phone, you said homework and teachers were—"

"Yes, yes, I get it!" Reggie quickly shushed his little brother, casting a glance at Ms. Kelly, who was watching with a raised eyebrow, as if daring him to let Paul complete the sentence. "The thing is, well..."

Reggie stopped to think for a moment, trying to figure out the best way to handle this. It came to him suddenly.

"The thing is, little bro..." Reggie bent down, so he could be at eye-level with his little brother. "...that sometimes, as we grow, we start to forget things we learned long ago. So sometimes, older kids, like me, forget some things that they learned in kindergarten, like we shouldn't use bad words. So, we sometimes accidentally say them. It's your job, Paul, to remind me that I shouldn't say them. Okay?"

Reggie was pretty proud of his explanation. He was very experienced at these sorts of things. But Ms. Kelly was even more experienced, and she saw the mistake he had made. That last part, of giving Paul that task, was something Reggie was going to regret, because that meant Paul was probably going to pop up every single time he said a bad word to tell him not to. Nevertheless, it meant the kindergartener would no longer use any foul language. At least, not while he was in the lower grades.

"Okey-dokey! Now that we've dealt with that, we gotta get going! My lunch break's gonna end soon, so we need to get you to your supervision!" Reggie straightened up. 'Supervision' was actually a daycare center that was across the street, and it was where Paul stayed until school classes ended for Reggie. Then, they both took the bus home. Reggie was always careful to call 'daycare' 'supervision', because he knew Paul thought 'daycare' sounded like it was for babies.

* * *

**Epilogue**

Like Ms. Kelly had predicted, Reggie came to really regret putting his little brother in charge of reminding him not to say bad words. He kept popping up unexpectedly, even at times Reggie didn't even know he was listening. He would often appear at inconvenient times as well, like if Reggie was on the phone, or when he was extremely frustrated about something (Paul's constant reminders made things worse when Reggie was already frustrated).

Poor Reggie. Looked like Paul wasn't the only one who learned a valuable lesson that day. Reggie learned to be careful about what kind of job he gave his little brother. One wrong move, and he might end up regretting it for a very long time.

* * *

**Ah, poor Reggie. Well, Paul's going to start 'forgetting' too, once he's older, so Reggie will be off the hook then.**

**Please review, and thanks for reading!**

**Bye bye for now! Have wondiferous (this should be a word) day, and smile the entire way! :) **


	49. Grade Four Day

**Hello, everyone! Where's the next update? Here it is!  
**

**Today's topic was suggested by _thefierydeath_, and then I added in something which was suggested by a guest reviewer, since it seemed to fit. So I hope you enjoy!  
**

**Disclaimer: I do not own Pokemon in any way, shape or size!**

* * *

**Grade Four Day  
**

**Grade Four  
**

**May (10), Ash (10), Misty (10), Gary (10), Leaf (10), Drew (10), Paul (10), Dawn (9)**

"Oh, when is the teacher going to be here?" May said excitedly. "I can't wait much longer!"

"Oh, calm down, June," said Drew, smirking and flipping his hair. "How impatient can you get? You've asked that about ten times in the last few minutes."

"May's not the only one like that," Dawn said. "Everyone wants to get started!"

"It shouldn't be much longer," said Leaf, glancing at the clock. "Class is about to start, so the teacher should be here any time now."

"Hn..." came Paul's voice as he glanced up from the book he was reading for a second to check the time. He went back to his book right after.

"Today's going to be so much fun!" Ash exclaimed. "Man, I can't even sit still!"

"I know, right?" Misty chimed in. "All day we'll be doing nothing but having fun."

"Yeah, it'll be a blast," Gary agreed. "Grade Four Day, here I come!"

As the end of the school year had come around, most of the grades were getting ready to finish off their classes. The teachers for the lower grades wanted their students to have an enjoyable last few days before the summer, so they did what they could to accomplish just that.

Mr. Robertson, one of the grade four teachers, had announced to his students that they were going to have something called a Grade Four Day, a day purely for the enjoyment of the grade fours. After days of waiting, Grade Four Day came, and now the students were all waiting eagerly in their classroom, excited to see what the teacher had in store for them.

"Good morning everyone!" Mr. Robertson said as he entered the room, beaming. "You guys ready to have an absolutely fabulous day?"

"YEAH!" the class chorused.

"Excellent!" Mr. Robertson clapped his hands together. "So we have a certain thing planned for the end of the day, as you all know. So if you guys were thinking of getting straight to the water balloon fight I told you guys about, that won't be until much later. In the meantime, what do you want to start with? We could watch a movie, go to the gym, or go outside–"

"The gym!"

"Movie!"

"Outside!"

Everyone started talking at once, yelling out their choices enthusiastically, trying to sound louder than their classmates.

"Guys! Quiet down, please!" their teacher called out. "Come on, now, there is a much more civilized, calmer way we can decide. A vote! So, if you want to watch a movie, raise your hand."

A bunch of hands went up, and Mr. Robertson counted all of them.

"Okay, that's good. Now, raise your hand if you want to go to the gym."

After counting the number of votes that got, he had them repeat the procedure one last time for who wanted to go outside. Finally, when all were counted, he nodded.

"It looks like there were quite a lot of votes for each choice, but going to the gym got the most votes, so to the gym it is! We can do the other options later today. That aside, time to line up!"

Everyone got into a straight, quiet line (which became not-so-straight and not-so-quiet as they walked) and headed for the gym. Once they got there, their teacher faced them, grinning.

"So, is there anything you guys would like to do? Any game in mind?"

"Basketball!" someone called out. There were shouts of supports and groans of protests in response.

"No, how about dodge ball?" someone else proposed.

"Racing?" Misty suggested.

After many discussions and whining and voting, they all finally decided on playing dodge ball, but different variants of it each round. As expected, Misty conquered all, but Paul caused his team dismay when he purposely let himself get struck out so he could continue reading his book instead.

After over an hour of playing, the teacher decided they should head back to class. Everyone was tired from all that running and throwing, so they decided to do something more relaxing, like watching a movie.

Mr. Robertson passed out snacks like cookies and juice (which he had initially been reserving for lunch) and they all settled down and picked a show. They chose a movie that had just come out on DVD, but Gary wasn't too happy about the decision, because it was one he had already seen. Halfway through, he, in an attempt to spoil it for his friends, nearly gave away the ending, but Leaf stuffed a cookie in his mouth just in time. Ash then asked if he could have her second cookie, which she refused.

Lunchtime came around, and Mr. Robertson suggested that they all go eat outside in the great weather. Everyone agreed in a heartbeat, with perhaps only a few exceptions. Once outside, their teacher laid out a large blanket which he had pulled out of the storeroom, and, along with their lunches and the remainder of the cookies and juice, they settled down to eat.

"Today's so much fun!" May said as she nibbled on a cookie. "I wish it were Grade Four Day every day!"

"I can't be," said Drew. "If it were every day, then what would be the point of going to grade four, since we wouldn't be learning and just playing around instea—"

"I_ know_ that, Drew," May interrupted, pouting. "I was just saying it's fun! No need to take it so literally."

Drew shrugged. "Well, usually when _you_ say something, you _do_ mean it literally. So don't blame me for thinking you meant it."

"Hmph!" May indignantly stuffed a cookie in her mouth.

"But you know, I totally agree with May," Ash chimed in. "This has been the best day ever! And just wait until the water balloon fight!"

"I can't believe the teachers decided to prepare a water balloon fight for us," said Dawn. "It's great! And I heard Mr. Robertson might be joining in!"

"Really?" Gary snickered. "I'll make sure to get at least three hits on him! One for making us do all that homework, one for putting me in detention for not doing the homework, and one for thinking I cheated on the test since I got everything right, but never did any homework."

"He only asked you if you cheated once," said Leaf. "He never really insisted you did."

"But he still thinks I did! I can tell! The way he was like, 'Gary? Can I talk to you after class for a moment?'"

"Yeah, but then he said you must be pretty smart and intelligent since you got such a great mark."

"In a suspicious sort of way!"

"Okay, everyone, lunch is over!" Mr. Robertson announced.

Everyone packed up their remaining lunches (if they had any remainders) and started cleaning up. At first, some of the kids asked if they could play outside, but Mr. Robertson pointed out that if they ran around and played tag or something right now, they might be too tired when the time for the water balloon fight would come around. And the water balloon fight involved a _lot_ of running around.

They ended up going inside and playing classroom games like Ghost in the Graveyard (in which everyone had to stay still unless the 'It' person wasn't watching, and whoever is 'It' had to try to catch them move), during which Drew managed to stand still the longest and win, but Paul could have too if he hadn't flipped the page of his book in front of the person who was 'It'.

Finally, the time came. Everyone changed into outdoor clothes that they wouldn't mind getting wet and went outside to have the water balloon battle! They were joined by the other grade four class, which was also having a Grade Four Day as well. The teachers brought multiple buckets, filled with water balloons.

"Okay, everyone, before we begin, I think we'll have to set up a few rules," Mr. Robertson announced. "Firstly, all of these buckets are in this large marked area, see? The safe-zone. You are not allowed to throw water balloons within that area, or at someone who is in that area. You are not allowed to push, rush, run there either, but, actually, no pushing or shoving outside of the safe-zone either. This area is only so that we can easily and safely get the balloons, and please do so gently so as to not break them.

"Second, each person is only allowed three balloons maximum at a time. If you have any more than that, and we catch you, you will have to give up all of your balloons and go back to get new ones.

"Finally, play nice. Don't be rough, don't act as bad sports, no rude language, and if someone is hurt, don't continue dousing them with water balloons. We want to care for everyone, and we want everyone to have fun. Am I clear?"

Everyone nodded their heads.

"Good. Now everyone, go get three balloons, and when the whistle is blown, we can start."

The students all rushed to get ammunition. Of course, it took plenty of reminding from the teachers that they weren't allowed to act rough in the bucket area, but finally, everyone had three. Even Mr. Robertson did, but the other class's teacher, apparently, didn't want to play.

And then the teacher blew the whistle.

Immediately, the whole place was filled with the colours of thrown balloons that exploded every time they hit a target or the ground. It literally looked like it was raining colours! Mr. Robertson found himself soaked fairly quickly, as it appeared Gary wasn't the only one who wanted to make him his target. Crowds returned to get more balloons, and there was some minor rule-breaking in which some people decided to throw water balloons in the area they weren't supposed to, but that was handled quickly.

"Hah! Gotcha!" Gary yelled as he threw his balloon so it smashed into the back of Ash's neck. "In your face, Drew!" Drew's face was his next target. "And... Wait, where's Paul?"

Paul, it appeared, was sitting in the safe-zone, reading the same book he had been all morning.

"_Paul_!" Gary said angrily, stomping right over. "You're supposed to be out there making sure everyone's soaked, not sitting here _reading_!"

"I'm almost done," Paul muttered, flipping the page.

"What are you even reading anyways?"

"It's a book on Pokemon strategies," Leaf answered for him as she came to get more balloons. "The one I gave to him his last birthday."

"I don't care! Just hurry up!" Gary whined.

"I'm done," Paul said quietly, putting his book to the side.

"Good," Gary huffed. "I'll be seeing _you_ in the battlefield."

Gary was dripping wet within the next minute.

There was a shriek that filled the sky (but went unnoticed because everyone else was screaming too). It came from Misty, who was glaring at Ash with her teeth bared.

"Ash Ketchum! You are going to pay for that!" she yelled at him.

Ash, who should have been trembling in fear and/or running, was laughing his head off. "That was so hilarious! You didn't even hear me sneak up behind you, and your face when I dropped my balloon down the back of your shirt and it exploded! Priceless!"

"Ash, you are gonna be so sorry you ever thought of your little prank!"

It was at that moment that Ash suddenly realized that Misty was going to make him regret his actions if he didn't start running right away. He sped off as fast as he could to escape an on-coming Misty who was yelling, "Get back here!" as she chased him.

Meanwhile, May was searching for the best target when someone called out her name.

"Hey, May!" When she turned, a balloon was thrown at her and it hit the front of her shirt.

"Dawn," May whined at her blue-haired friend.

"Sorry, May, but I had to throw this at someone," Dawn giggled.

"What about Drew? You could have targeted someone like him."

"Yeah, he'd be—" Dawn suddenly stopped mid-sentence, her eyes shining as an idea occurred to her. "Hey, let's both team up! We could work together to make sure our target gets hit! And we can start with Drew!"

May's eyes sparkled. "Good idea! Let's go fine him!"

The two girls ran off to find their friend in the crowd. They soon found him sneaking up behind a classmate, water balloon in hand. Trying their best not to burst out laughing, Dawn and May slowly approached him from behind and threw their balloons at him.

"Gah!" Drew yelped, turning around as two balloons' worth of water doused his back. "You guys—!" The two only snickered at him, and were about to make their escape when they became the targets of Leaf's balloons.

"Gotcha!" Leaf yelled triumphantly before disappearing amongst a crowd of other students.

The water fight went on for a long time, when suddenly, a group of Wartortle appeared out of nowhere. They weren't noticed by many at first... until they started spraying everyone with water.

There were small screams as some students got drenched unexpectedly, and they all stared in puzzlement at the water Pokemon, which had now lined up in an orderly fashion.

"Mr. Robertson," someone said. "Where did they come from?"

Mr. Robertson laughed. "You'll see!"

At that moment, a man with dark hair wearing all orange appeared. He chuckled when he saw the kids' confused expressions. "Well, hello, everyone!" he said. "I am Captain Aidan, a firefighter!"

"A firefighter?"

"What's a firefighter doing here?"

"Is there a fire?"

Murmurs broke out as the students questioned his presence before their teacher explained.

"Actually, I invited him here," he said. "Captain Aidan is an old friend of mine, and he had the day off, so I thought it would be fun if he and his Wartortle could pay you guys a visit."

"A firefighter?"

"A real firefighter?"

The murmurs transformed into a wave of excitement, and students began interestedly going up to the man and his Pokemon to bombard him with questions.

"Have you ever been in a real fire?"

"How long have you been a firefighter?"

"Is it really dangerous?"

"I want to be a firefighter when I grow up!"

"Okay, okay!" Captain Aidan laughed. "One at a time!"

Finally, school ended, and with it, ended Grade Four Day. Everyone was completely dripping with water by the end from both the water balloons and the Wartortle, but fortunately, the teachers had told then to bring towels. Everyone was laughing and talking about how much fun they had as they went to dry off.

* * *

**And that's that!  
**

**The water balloon fight was actually a separate idea by a guest reviewer, but I decided to put it in as well. I might start combining suggestions more from now on, since there are some suggestions that look like they could be put together, and not to mention there are so many, so it'll be a bit hard to do a chapter for each and every one separately. Anyways...**

**Thanks for reading!**

**Bye bye for now! Have a marvelous day, and smile all the way! :)**

* * *

**_Reply to pokemon pics_: Hi! Thanks for sending that link! Only thing is, when I tried to go on it, it didn't work. Maybe there was a mistake in the URL? I'm a little curious to see what it was, but even if I don't end up seeing it, it's totally fine! :)  
**


	50. Crutches

**Hello everyone! Update time!**

**For this one, I decided to make it into a sort of sequel. You guys remember the 13th chapter, called 'Climbing Trees'? This chapter takes place a day after that. The topic just seemed to fit, and so, here it is!**

**Today's topic was suggested by _QUEENSPELLER67_!**

**Disclaimer: I do not own Pokemon in any way, shape or size!**

* * *

**Crutches  
**

**Grade Two  
**

**May (7), Ash (7), Misty (7), Drew (7), Gary (7), Paul (7)**

When Ash entered his grade two class, he instantly became the centre of attention. The previous day, the poor boy had badly sprained his ankle during a certain tree incident. And now, he had just come in, his foot bandaged up in a small white cast, and most interesting of all was the fact that he was using crutches.

"Ash!" May and her friends immediately went up to him. "Are you okay?" she asked worriedly. "How's your foot?"

"Oh, it still kinda hurts," said Ash. "But the doctor said it should get better in a week or two. Until then, it's a bit hard to walk, so they gave me these crutches." Ash proudly used his crutches to take a few steps. "It's not as easy as it looks. I had to try all of yesterday to learn how to use them!"

"Wow," May marveled. "When you use them, it's kinda like you have three feet!"

"Huh? Um, okay," Ash said, unsure of how to respond.

"I'm glad you're okay," said Misty."But you better not do something dumb like climb a tree like that again!"

"Actually, Mist," said Ash thoughtfully. "Maybe I should. I always thought it would be easy to climb trees, but now I'm thinking that maybe I need more practice."

"No! You, mister, will not be climbing any more trees!" Misty proclaimed hotly.

The two's bickering caught the attention of the rest of the class, and it wasn't long before they all were surrounding their black-haired classmate, asking him if he were alright and admiring his cast.

"Hey, we should let him sit down," Drew suggested, realizing that everyone was making it hard for Ash to keep his balance. Everyone immediately got out of his way, and helped him get to his desk.

"Thanks, guys!" said Ash brightly.

"Hey, can I draw something on your cast?" May asked. "Once, Daddy hurt his foot, and he let me write and draw stuff on his cast, like smiley faces and 'Get well soon!'"

"Sure!"

"Can I, too?"

"And me?"

"What about me?"

Turned out the rest of his classmates were eager to draw on it too, and Ash happily let them, appearing a bit more exuberant than usual at getting so much attention. He never got to be in the spotlight!

But someone _wasn't_ as thrilled about that as he was. Gary was standing off to the side, arms crossed as he watched his friend, his face swimming with jealousy.

"It's not_ that_ big of a deal," he grumbled to Paul, who was sitting in his desk as he was one of the few who didn't really feel like drawing on Ash's cast. "He just got hurt, and now he gets so much attention!"

"If it's not such a big deal, why are you so upset?" Paul pointed out.

"I'm not!" Gary insisted indignantly. "I just think Ash is being a bit full of himself."

"Kind of like how you always are?"

"Yeah! I mean, no! I'm _not_ full of myself!" He glared at his friend. "I just like it when people pay attention to me, that's all! Besides, I_ deserve_ to be in the spotlight. My grandpa is famous, and I'm awesome, so of course people should notice me more."

"I don't think people notice you that much, actually. It's only when you're being loud."

"People _do_ notice me! _You_ just don't realize it. But Ash? The only reason he's getting so much attention is because he has a cast and is using cool crutches. If he didn't, I would be getting all the attention. He's not special! "

"Uh-huh."

"I have to make people realize that! What do you think I should do?"

"..."

"Great idea! I'll get a cast too. Then, everyone will want to draw on _my_ cast!"

"But won't you have to get hurt first?"

Gary frowned at Paul's point. He'd have to be hurt to get the doctor to put a cast on him. But he didn't _really_ want to get hurt. What if... he pretended? He was very good at pretending! He quickly took out a washable red marker and a roll of tape from his pencil box.

"Wait here," he told Paul, who hadn't been planning to move from his spot.

Gary hurried to the washroom where he used the red marker to colour all over his left hand. He then wrapped tissue paper all around it and used tape to keep it in place. He now had a cast as well!

Grinning proudly, he strutted back to class and to where he had been standing beside Paul's desk. He waved his 'injured' hand in front of his face.

"I have a cast now too!" he declared.

"That's tissue paper," Paul observed.

"Well, I can't have a _real_ cast, Paul. You know that! And you can't tell _anyone_ that I'm not really hurt, okay?"

Paul shrugged and Gary took that as a yes.

"Okay, then!" The spiky-haired boy walked up to the crowd and waved his hand in the air. "Hey! I have a cast too!" he yelled out.

All heads turned towards him.

"Gary? When did you get a cast?" Drew said. "You were just fine a moment ago."

"Yeah, but I fell and hit my hand," Gary answered, mildly annoyed at the lack of instant sympathy. "It really hurts too."

"Oh no!" May immediately ran up to him and took his hand carefully. She frowned. "But this is tissue and tape."

"I had to use that because the doctor isn't here right now," Gary told her. "I'll go to the doctor and get a real cast tomorrow."

Misty shook her head. "Gary, always getting into dumb messes."

"Hey!' Gary yelled angrily. "I _fell_ and _got hurt_!"

"You were probably running in the hallways. We aren't supposed to run in the hallways."

"But we aren't supposed to climb trees either! And Ash got hurt doing something dumb!"

"Gary, is it _really_ hurt?" May asked anxiously.

"Yeah!" Gary's anger ebbed away and was replaced by enthusiasm. "Wanna see?" He lifted a part of the tissue to reveal a bit of his red hand underneath.

"It's all red!" May gasped in horror.

"Yeah. But_ I_ didn't cry like Ash did!"

"You have to go to the nurse!"

"Wha'?" Gary hadn't been expecting that. "No, I don't."

"Yes you do. It's really hurt! You need to get it checked up and take medicine."

"No I _don't_! You only do that if it hurts a lot, and it doesn't hurt_ that_ much."

"But you were saying that it really hurts," Drew reminded him, causing Gary to send a glare his way that made him fall silent.

"But what about your hand?" May said worriedly.

"Don't worry, I'm really brave!" Gary puffed up his chest proudly. His eyes fell on Ash's crutches. "I'm gonna need those," he announced. "You use crutches when you're hurt, and I'm hurt so I'll have to use them." He took his friend's crutches in his hands.

"Um, you only need those when your leg is hurt," Ash tried to explain.

"But my leg is hurt too," Gary told him. "When I fell, I hurt my hand _and_ my leg."

"But you still can't use them," Paul piped up this time, and he was smirking amusedly. "If your hand is hurt, how are you gonna hold them?"

Gary glared at his friend. Wasn't Paul supposed to be on his side? "Well," said Gary, "I can do it because I can hold onto it without my hand hurting. I'm brave, so I don't cry."

"But it's really hard to use crutches," said Ash. "I had to practise a lot so that I could use them without falling, and my mom helped me too. You're gonna have to practise before you use them."

"No, I won't! I can use them without practising," Gary claimed, taking his crutches and tucking them under his arms the way he saw people do on TV. "See? I know how to use them."

"But it's hard to walk—"

"Only for you, Ashy-boy. I'm better than you, so I know how to do this better."

"But—"

"You just watch. I'll show you!"

Despite protests, Gary made an attempt to use the crutches to propel himself forward. He wobbled, looking like he was about to fall (because of which gasps emerged from the crowd), but he managed to successfully land on his feet. He paused for a moment, taking in the fact that he had accomplished such a difficult task, before grinning proudly.

"See?" he said. "Told you I could do it!"

The crowd held its breath as Gary made another attempt. This time, however, he wasn't as lucky. The crutches twisted, making him lose balance and unable to keep upright. It ended with him on the floor, the crutches on top of him.

"OW!" he hollered. "OW! I hurt my foot!"

Everyone huddled around. May gasped, kneeling beside him. "Are you okay?! Are you hurt?" she asked frantically.

"_No_, I'm not okay, and _yes_, I am hurt!" Gary snapped, gritting his teeth and holding back tears of pain. He couldn't cry! Not after all that bragging.

"You shouldn't have done that," Misty chided. "Always doing dumb things!"

"Your cast fell off," said Drew, picking up the bundle of tissue and tape. He frowned when he saw his friend's hand. "Wait, is that marker?"

"Yeah," Paul confirmed. "He was making all of that up."

"_Paul_!" Gary was finding it very difficult to hold back his tears of pain, now mixed with humiliation and anger. Paul was a traitor!

"Someone should get the nurse," said Ash worriedly.

"But what if he's only pretending to be hurt this time too," Misty pointed out.

"I don't think he is," Ash said. "When I was learning how to use my crutches, once I fell and my mom wasn't there, and it _hurt_!"

"Come on, Drew, we need to get Nurse Joy!" May caught Drew's arm in her grip and dragged him out with her. Gary had to bear the pain of his twisted ankle for a while longer before the nurse came to help him to the office.

* * *

"It really hurts," said Gary to the group of kids around him. "See? Nurse Joy put it in a cast. She said it's not as bad as Ash's, but I still need lots of rest before it gets better."

It was recess time now. Turned out Gary had twisted his ankle, but it wasn't nearly as bad as Ash's. Nevertheless, Nurse Joy had wrapped it up and told him that he should visit the doctor after school just in case. He couldn't go right now, because he had no one to take him there (everyone was at work), but since it wasn't too serious, he could wait. In the meantime, he was having a great time getting all the attention.

"I hope it gets better soon," said Ash, who was sitting on the bench beside him, his crutches leaning against the bench's side. "It's no fun having to just sit around all day! I wish my foot would get better."

But Gary evidently couldn't agree less. He proudly told everyone (whoever hadn't seen what had really happened) of a heroic story where he had let himself get hurt to save someone.

"Hey, Ash," said a voice. It was Iris, the girl who had challenged Ash to a tree-climbing contest that had resulted in him hurting his foot in the first place. "How are you feeling?"

"Much better!" said Ash cheerfully.

"Huh?" Iris turned to Gary. "What happened to you?"

"I hurt my foot," Gary explained, telling her the long heroic tale which she didn't believe.

"That's not true," Misty muttered. But she had given up trying to tell everyone that.

"Well, I hope the both of you get better," said Iris. The rest of Ash and Gary's friends agreed, and Ash nodded too.

But Gary, who was enjoying all the extra attention, secretly thought to himself, _I don't._

* * *

**Okie! I have completed this chapter and managed to get you guys a second update this week! Yay!  
**

**Now, as we all know, this is a very special chapter. You can all now commence celebrations.**

**...**

**...**

**...**

**Um, why are you guys just blankly staring at the screen? WHAT?! You have no clue what I'm talking about?! Fine I'll tell you. This chapter is special because...**

**IT IS THE _FIFTIETH_ CHAPTER FOR THIS FANFIC! That's right, folks, I have reached 50 chapters for this in about a year! This is a huge accomplishment for me, but the ones I want to thank most is you guys. It's thanks to all you guys that I've managed to come this far, with all your reviews, favs, follows, and views. So far, I have reached 287 reviews (which is nearly 300!), 53 favs, 55 follows, and over 21,800 views! You guys are all awesome, so thanks so much! I hope to continue on to at least 100 chapters, so let's see if I can do it! ^_^  
**

**Thanks for reading!**

**Have a magnificently phenomenal day, and be sure to smile all the way! :D**


	51. Mother's Day Gift

**Hi hi, people! Here is a brand new update! Enjoy! **

**Today's chapter is a combination of two suggestions, each by a guest reviewer!**

**Disclaimer: I do not own Pokemon in any way, shape or size!**

* * *

**Mother's Day Gift  
**

**Grade Three  
**

**May (9), Dawn (8), Ash (9)**

May, Dawn and Ash were all gathered at May's house, having a very serious discussion. It was Saturday, and tomorrow, it was going to be a very special day. Unfortunately, they weren't exactly prepared for it.

"Guys, we have to think of something!" May said. "If we're the only ones not ready for Mother's Day—"

"May, no need to worry," Dawn tried to reassure her. "We'll think of something. I mean, everyone else did, so how hard could it be?"

"Yeah, but we need to think of it right away, or else we won't be able to get ready for it, and we have to do this before tomorrow," Ash reminded them. "Man, I wish I'd tried thinking of something before. I just kept forgetting to!"

"I made a card like I do every year, but like I said, I do it every year," Dawn said, frowning slightly. "I want to do something different. Something new and special!"

"Yeah, same here," said May. "Well, I didn't make a card, but I wanted to do something special, and I tried thinking of something all week, but couldn't!"

"I can't believe the others already have ideas," said Ash. "All of them! It makes me feel like I didn't think much about it."

"Yeah," said Dawn. "But we can't worry about that right now. We still have one day, so we have to try to think of a plan."

"But what?" May wondered.

The three sat by themselves in silence, wondering what to do. Suddenly, a large grin appeared on Dawn's face.

"I know!" she exclaimed, standing up. "Instead of just giving them something, we can can all take our moms somewhere special and have a lot of fun with them there! Our gift could be giving them a great time!"

"Hey, that's a great idea!" Ash stood up in enthusiasm. "What kind of place were you thinking?"

"A Pokemon park! You know, one of those huge spacious parks where there are Pokemon everywhere, and you can play with them and feed them and have fun!"

"Sounds great!" May cheered, standing up as well. "Tomorrow, we can tell them that we should all go to the Pokemon park for the day! I can ask Daddy to suddenly just take us all there as a surprise!"

"Yeah, Professor Oak can help out with me," Ash said. "And then we can have a picnic there, and we can buy treats to feed the Pokemon!"

"Then it's settled! The three of us can take our moms to a Pokemon park. And it would be even more fun if we all meet up there!" Dawn said.

"Wait, I have an idea!" May exclaimed. "We can make the Pokemon treats ourselves! We bought a small Berry Blender machine a few weeks ago, and we have berries, so the three of us can make Pokeblock."

"And Poffins!" Dawn clapped her hands together. "I make Poffins for my mom's Glameow all the time, so I'm really good at Poffin-making. I'm just not allowed to use the stove alone, though."

"Don't worry," May assured her. "Mom is out shopping, and Daddy's home, so we can just ask him to help out. And my mom wouldn't be here until later, so we won't have to worry about ruining the surprise."

"Come on! Let's do this!" Ash cheered, running to the kitchen, May and Dawn following behind.

With the help of Norman, May's father, they all got set up. May insisted that they work by themselves, but Norman was firm in his belief that they needed adult-supervision.

"Berries, berries! Need lots of berries!" May hummed as she did her best to follow the Pokeblock recipe she had made up all by herself.

"Wow, these are going to be great!" Dawn chirped, mixing the Poffin ingredients in a large pot on the stove. Norman was standing with her and Ash as they worked on a stove, being very careful to make sure they didn't accidentally burn themselves.

"Yeah!" Ash said brightly. But then he frowned. "But I'm not so sure I'm doing this right..." Ash too was attempting Poffins, but he wasn't as confident as Dawn in his abilities, since it was his first time.

Dawn leaned over to peek into his pot and frowned. "I think you missed an ingredient," she said, handing him a small box. "This."

"Oh, okay." He took the box.

"No don't put that much in!"

"Whoops!"

"Stir faster, it'll burn!"

"I'm trying—"

"That's too fast! You're making it spill!"

"Okay, okay!"

"That's too slow again!"

Dawn's Poffin-cooking lessons for Ash weren't going too well...

"Daddy, which button am I supposed to press?" May asked as she examined the Berry Blender.

"This one," Norman said, pushing it for her.

"Daddy, I wanted to push it!"

"Er, sorry... Maybe next time?"

"No, I'm going to have to make it all over again! I wanted to make it all myself!"

"But what about the ones you're making right now?"

"You can have those for your Pokemon! I wanna make all these myself!"

After a few hours of making Poffins and Pokeblock, and then cleaning up afterwards, they were all finally done!

"Wow, these Poffins are going to be so good!" Dawn said happily, organizing a batch of pink Poffins in a large basket.

"I'm not sure about mine," Ash said, rubbing the back of his head as he looked at his pile of burnt Poffins, which looked more like a pile of ashes.

"No need to worry, Ash! I have extra, so I can give you some!" Dawn said, dividing some of the Poffins she had made to share with her friend.

"Thanks, Dawn!"

"And here is my Pokeblock!" May announced, holding up a few small purple cube-shaped Pokeblock. "It's called May's Purple Surprise! I have extra, the ones that Daddy helped me make, so if you guys want to have some of those, you can!"

"Thanks, May!" The two took some of May's Purple Surprise as well.

"Tomorrow's going to be the best ever!

* * *

The next day, May, Dawn and Ash arrived at a Pokemon park with their mothers, Caroline, Johanna and Delia respectively. They all met up together, and had a great time having a picnic and enjoying playing with the Pokemon.

They tried to feed the Pokemon the Poffins and Pokeblock too, but unfortunately, not all the Pokemon were big fans.

"No one likes May's Purple Surprise!" May said sadly. "I worked so hard! But no one likes it..."

"Maybe there is a Pokemon that likes it somewhere around here, but is too shy to come out," Caroline suggested.

"Yeah, maybe!" said May, brightening up. "I'll go see... Oh, there is one that looks shy! Come here, I have some Pokeblock for you! Do you wanna try May's Purple Surprise? Come on!" Caroline laughed lightly as her daughter chased a poor Bidoof around and around.

Meanwhile, Ash was having a little trouble too.

"Aw, come on!" he said, frowning as a Pokemon sniffed the Poffins he was offering and rejected it. "They can't be that bad!"

"Maybe they just aren't hungry right now," Delia said.

"What? How can they not be hungry? Especially when these taste so good!" Just to be sure, Ash took a little nibble from the Poffin. "See, it's not bad! Not bad at all!" He took another nibble while Delia just smiled and shook her head at her son's never-ceasing love for food.

"But Mom, why don't they like my Poffins?" Dawn whined, disappointed. "I made them exactly like I make them with you!"

"I'm sure you did," Johanna assured her. "But those Poffins are specifically the kind that Glameow likes. Not all Pokemon like the same kind of Poffins."

Dawn thought a bit about the explanation, and then said, "So we can just give these to Glameow then?"

"I'm sure Glameow would love them!" Johanna said, causing her daughter to beam.

The rest of Mother's Day passed wonderfully at the Pokemon park. Sure, it didn't go exactly as they had planned it, as not all the Pokemon really liked the treats, but nevertheless, they all found it to be a very memorable day!

* * *

**Happy Mother's Day, people! ...Even if I am about two months late. Ehehehe...  
**

**I made this chapter with May, Dawn and Ash because they're the only ones out of the main-eight whose mothers appear in the anime, so it was easier to just make it with them. I could have done Leaf too, since she just appears in the games, and her mother appears in the games too, but I eventually decided against it since we barely know anything about her mother. Of course I could make her personality and everything up, but I eventually didn't end up doing that. Besides, Leaf's a smart girl. She probably already had plans at the ready!**

**But anyways, I thought May, Ash and Dawn fit this more. So yeah.**

**Thanks for reading!**

**Bye bye for now! Have a wonderful day, and smile all the way! :)**


	52. At the Museum

**Hello, readers! Everyone enjoying summer (if it's summer where you are)? Update time!**

**Today's topic was suggested by a guest reviewer! Enjoy!**

**Disclaimer: I do not own Pokemon in any way, shape or size!**

* * *

**At The Museum  
**

**Grade Two  
**

**Trip (7), Iris (7)  
**

**May (7), Ash (8), Misty (8), Gary (8), Drew (8), Paul (8)**

Trip was currently sitting in his seat in his classroom. The two grade two classes in his school were going to go to the Pewter Museum of Science, and he was excited because he just so happened to be a student from one of those grade two classes. Not only was the boy going to be looking at many different interesting things like Pokemon fossils, he was also looking forward to taking many pictures with his brand new digital camera.

Trip loved taking pictures. Pictures always made sure he remembered a past event, and they let him capture a wonderful moment or an interesting sight within them. He usually used his dad's camera, but recently, he had received a gift of a digital camera, all for himself! And he was looking forward to using it on his field trip. Now if only the teacher would be here already, they would be able to head out.

"Hey, what's that, Trip?" a classmate, Sho, asked, pointing to his camera.

"It's my camera," Trip explained proudly, doing his best to act like it was no big deal. "I'm gonna use it to take pictures at the museum."

"Wow, it's cool," Sho marvelled. He suddenly smirked, and, to Trip's horror, snatched it right out of his hands!

"Hey!" Trip angrily stood up. "Give it back!"

"Nope! I like it, so it's mine now!" Sho held it out of his reach, and Trip wished he weren't so short.

"Come on, Sho, leave him alone," another boy, Ritchie, said, frowning.

Sho ignored him, but found the camera snatched out of his grasp by a red-haired classmate, who handed it back to Trip.

"Hmph! Ruining all my fun, Steven," Sho mumbled, scowling.

"My name is _Stephan_!"

Suddenly, the teacher arrived, and everyone quickly went to their seats. After attendance and going over the rules for the field trip, everyone was a assigned a buddy.

"You have to be with a buddy at all times," the teacher instructed.

"Are we allowed to choose our buddies?" someone asked.

"No, it'll be a random draw," the teacher explained. "See this bowl? It has many folded slips of paper, and each paper has the name of someone in this classroom. I will pick two together, and the two I pick will be buddies for the trip."

She started picking, and soon, everyone was in a pair. Trip found himself partnered up with a girl named Iris.

Soon, they were all heading to the bus. The other grade two class, 2A, was already waiting there, but it turned out that they had been allowed to pick their own buddies, which led to many grumbles of unfairness from the 2B students.

Finally, they were all seated in the bus, on their way to the Pewter Museum of Science.

"It's going to be pretty boring," Iris muttered, mostly to herself, as she stared out the window with bored eyes. "I'd rather go somewhere interesting outside."

Trip shrugged, smirking. "Well, too bad for you," he drawled as he looked over his camera.

"I never asked you," Iris said, giving him an annoyed look.

"Well, who were you talking to, then?" Trip didn't lift his eyes to even look at her.

"Well, not _you_!"

"There's no one else here."

"So what—" She froze when there was a sudden flash. She was stunned for a moment, but her surprise dissipated into irritation when she realized what he had done. "Did you just take my picture? I didn't give you permission to do that."

"Yeah, but I did. I'm taking pictures of everything for this field trip," Trip explained. "You're part of the field trip, 'cause you're my field trip buddy."

"Yeah, but you're not allowed to do that without asking."

"It's too late now." Trip stuck his nose up in a final sort of way. Iris looked like she wanted to argue more, but she just huffed and went back to looking out the window.

"You're such a little kid," she muttered. "Not even knowing you're supposed to ask before taking someone's picture."

"Huh? Little kid?" Trip turned to her, feeling insulted. "How am _I_ a little kid? _You're_ the one making a big deal out of all this."

"Only a little kid would say that," Iris said without even looking at him.

Their argument persisted throughout the whole bus ride.

When they finally arrived, they all got out of the bus to admire the huge museum building. Trip went on a picture-taking spree, while even Iris seemed to be impressed.

"Wow, that's so cool!" a boy from the 2A class, Ash, said as he pointed the building out to his buddy, Misty.

"Yeah, I know right?" Misty agreed, marvelling its magnificence.

"This is going to be so much fun!" their friend, May, squealed. "I heard this is one of the best places to visit ever!" She made a camera with her fingers. "It's time for May's Expeditions!" she announced, while her buddy, Drew, looked amused at her childishness.

Trip smirked. She could play around all she wanted. Trip was the one with the _real_ camera!

They went in, and admired the spaciousness and the small displays of strange stones and rocks. They soon met up with their guide for leading them through the museum.

"Everyone," their teacher said seriously, "please remember to stay with the group. It is such a large museum, you could easily get lost. And also, stay with your buddy!"

"Okay!" the students chorused.

"And if any of you gets lost, we have staff members who can help," the guide said. "They'll be the ones wearing orange shirts like the one I'm wearing."

The guide led them all through many areas of the museum. It turned out those stones and rocks were actually real life Pokemon fossils!

"That one's of Omanyte!" Gary Oak was spouting facts and knowledge about each of the fossils while his buddy, Paul, just examined the displays with a neutral expression on his face. But at least they were still keeping up with the group. Iris, on the other hand, was becoming extremely irritated at Trip for holding her back.

"Come on, Trip, they're leaving us!" she urged.

"Wait, just one more," the boy said, taking another picture of a display.

"You don't have to take a picture of _every_thing here. Just hurry up!

"I can't hurry up if you keep distracting me when I'm trying to take a picture!"

"Come on, they'll leave us behi—" Iris froze when she turned to where the group was. Or had been.

"Okay, I'm done," said Trip. "See? It didn't take too long." When he frowned slightly when he saw her expression. "What?"

"They're... gone," Iris told him. And so they were. The two seven-year-olds were all alone. Well, not completely all alone. There were other people too, but they were all strangers.

Iris huffed. "Oh man! How are we going to find them now?"

"Easy. We'll just go in the direction they were going. It's such a big group, we can't miss it!"

"Hmph!" Iris folded her arms behind her head as they both walked, Trip leading the way. "This is all your fault, you know," she told him.

"_My_ fault?"

"If you weren't such a little kid, you wouldn't have wasted so much time on just taking pictures. Now we're stuck in this boring place!"

"It's not boring! There are so many interesting things around here. Like that." He paused, taking a picture of a display. "And that." He took another picture.

"Oh, stop with the picture-taking! We're completely lost, and we _still_ haven't found the others. What's your plan now, genius?"

"Hm... We can ask one of the staff members," Trip suggested. "That's what the guide said we're supposed to do."

"Yeah, but do you see any staff members around here? How does a staff member even look like?"

"You probably weren't paying attention to the basic rules the he was telling us," Trip drawled in a know-it-all way. "He said staff members wore orange shirts."

"I don't see anyone with an orange shirt."

"What about that guy?" He pointed to someone.

"He doesn't look like a staff member to me."

"But he's wearing the shirt."

"What if it's a different orange shirt? Do you remember how his shirt looked like?"

"Hm... I took a picture of it. We can check that." Trip began pushing buttons on his digital camera to find a previous picture. "You told me not to take pictures, but it's a good thing I did!" he said, smirking.

"Your taking pictures was the reason we're lost in the first place!" Iris snapped.

"Here, I found it." Both Trip and Iris huddled around the camera.

"I can't tell if it looks like that guy's orange shirt," Iris said, squinting her eyes as she tried to get a better look. "Your camera screen is too small!"

Trip looked irritated. "I'd say it looks exactly like that man's shirt," he said, not wanting his efforts to have been in vain.

"No it doesn't!" Iris snapped.

"Yes it does! I'll go ask him right now!"

"Fine!"

"Fine!"

But by the time Trip looked up, the man wearing the orange shirt had already disappeared.

"Great," Iris grumbled. But then the two heard voices. _Familiar_ voices.

"Hey, do you think it's that way?"

"No, Ash, it's probably that way!"

Iris and Trip turned at the sound, hoping the group had come back to look for them, but all they saw were Ash and Misty walking alone, bickering as they did. Once Ash saw the two, his face broke out in a grin.

"Hey!" he called out, running up to them, his buddy Misty chasing after. "Hi guys! Man, I'm glad we found you! Misty and I are totally lost. Do you know where the others are?"

"It was your fault we got lost in the first place," Misty muttered. "I told you we shouldn't leave the group!"

"No, we're lost too," Iris said. "All because of Trip," she added, causing the boy to glare at her.

"So, what should we do?" said Misty. "We couldn't find any of the staff members. There are so many other people here too, so it's hard to find someone to help us."

"Yeah, same with us," said Iris.

"We'll just have to look for them ourselves!" Ash cheered childishly. "Follow me!"

"Wait, why are we following_ you_?" Trip piped up. "I can probably lead better than you. I say... this way." He pointed down the hall.

"Well I say _this_ way," Ash, just wanting to be contrary, pointed down a different hall.

"No, it's this way."

"This way."

"This way!"

"This way!

"THIS WAY!"

"THIS WAY!"

"Wow, they're such little kids," Iris commented.

"I know, right?" Misty agreed. The two girls chuckled.

"Okay you two, stop with the fighting!" Misty ordered, putting an end to their squabble. "We all need to decide where to go together."

"Or," Trip countered, "we could split up. I mean, we just need to be with our partners, right? We don't have to all stick together."

"Yes we do," Misty shot back sharply. "When you're lost, it's best to all stay together, so if they find us, they can find us all instead of having to look for everyone separately."

"I can lead the way," Iris offered.

"Do you know where to go?" Ash wondered.

Iris proudly puffed up her chest. "Of course! It's like my sixth sense! Come on, everyone! Follow me!"

They began trekking through the fossil section.

"Whoa, look at that!" Ash exclaimed as they passed a huge skeleton of what looked like it might have been a Dragonite. Trip quickly took a picture.

"That looks like a dragon type!" Iris marvelled, looking at it as well. "And that one too!"

"It says here," Misty read off the display information of the second fossil Iris had pointed to, "that this was Aerodactyl. It wasn't a dragon type, though."

"Really? It looks like that, though..."

They arrived at another section of the museum where there were displays of rare gems and stones.

"Wow," Misty breathed as she looked at a display of huge pearls. "These are beautiful!"

"Yeah," Iris said, her eyes glued to a Dragon Gem.

Trip wasted no time snapping shots while Ash just wished he could keep looking at all of these forever.

They later arrived at the Pokemon display section, where there were huge displays of Pokemon figures, showing Pokemon evolution, and timelines of when it was estimated certain Pokemon had arrived. The four especially marvelled at the enormous models of Dialga, Palkia, Arceus, and Giratina, as well as many other legendary Pokemon, like Mew.

They had to admit, despite the fact they had no way to find their classmates and teachers, it was all still pretty fun.

* * *

"Sixth sense, huh?" Misty mumbled, her eye twitching.

"Ehehehe," Iris laughed sheepishly.

"I knew we should have gone the way I said," Trip muttered.

"Or the way _I_ said," Ash added.

Yup, Iris's leading had failed miserably, ending them in front of a door that said 'Do not enter' in big letters.

"Well, let's try again," Iris said, turning and heading the other way. "Onwards!"

"No offence, Iris, but I think I should lead," Misty said, walking up front. "Come on, everybody!"

"Why does Misty get to lead?" Ash grumbled.

"She'll probably end up getting us lost again," Trip said doubtfully.

"What was that?" Misty hissed, looking at them with dangerous eyes.

"Nothing!" the boys said quickly, intimidated by her brewing temper.

They ended up following that red-head, who seemed to be a lot more careful to study the signs around them. Although how they would be able to find out where the others were by following the signs, the other three had no clue.

In the end, they didn't reach their group. Instead, they found themselves at the information counter.

"See? You couldn't find the others either," Ash said, folding his arms. "We should just go the way I was—"

"Of course we didn't find the others," Misty snapped. "How are we supposed to find them when we don't know where they are? My plan was to just find the information counter and have them help."

"Of course, Ash," Trip said. "You should have already figured that out. It's so basic. Everyone knows that's what we should do."

"_You_ didn't think of doing it," Ash accused.

"Oh brother," Iris muttered exasperatedly as Trip and Ash began quarrelling again. In the meantime, Misty informed the woman at the counter of their situation, and she was happy to make an announcement over the intercom to call one of their teachers over for the four of them.

While the four sat and waited for their teacher to arrive, they had to agree, even though they had gotten lost, they still had had a fairly enjoyable field trip.

* * *

**Tsk tsk, you four! You should stick with your group at all times! At least Misty managed to get them to some staff members. **

**Okie, I should tell you guys that I'm going to a place where the chance of me having internet access is very low, meaning my next update isn't going to be until somewhere in August. So I won't be updating for the rest of this month. Hm, my initial plan for this summer was to try to write as much as I could for fanfic, but I haven't been managing to go update-crazy, have I? Oh well!**

**Anyways, thanks for reading!**

**Bye bye for now! Have a great day, and smile all the way! And see you next in August, okay? :)**


	53. Veggies and Pidgeys

**I'm back! Nice to see you guys again! Although I actually returned a while ago, but couldn't write that much. **

**But now that I'm back from vacation, I can write for FFN again. Yay! However, I should warn you that August might not be very update-full. It's a busy month. Also, you may have noticed that I made a new cover for this story. Do you like it? Or do you think the original one would work better?  
**

**And now, here is today's chapter!**

**Today's topic is a mixture of multiple suggestions I received that had to do with Earth Day, planting and gardening, as well as one more suggestion that didn't have to do with plants, but I thought went Earth Day. These topics were suggested by guest reviewers and _Pika-Bones__._  
**

**Disclaimer: I do not own Pokemon in any way, shape or size!**

* * *

**Veggies and Pidgeys  
**

**Kindergarten  
**

**May (5-6), Ash (6), Gary (6), Drew (6), Paul (6), Leaf (6)  
**

Earth Day. The day when everyone learned about the environment and planted plants and took care of them.

At least, that's what Earth Day was to May.

To Gary, it was the day he could flaunt his last name and demand respect because it matched a tree's name. To Drew, it was the day when you appreciated trees and flowers, and he and his butler watered the rose bushes in his mansion's gardens together. To Paul, it was when his brother continuously nagged him, insisting that he grow a plant despite his reluctance to. And to Leaf, well, it was the same day as her birthday.

And finally, Ash especially loved Earth Day because on Earth Day, his mother planted all sorts of seeds in his backyard, and they grew into food. Yes, _food_. Like carrots and lettuce and tomatoes and peppers. Granted, it took a long time for them to grow, but it was always worth it in the end, with everything his mom cooked using their homegrown veggies.

And this year, Ash was super-excited because his mom was letting him and his friends plant and take care of plants in the backyard all by themselves. She informed them that she would be monitoring their crops while they weren't there, but other than that, it was their responsibility.

"Wow!" May marvelled at Ash's backyard. It was much bigger than her own, probably because in May's neighbourhood, the houses were closer together.

"And here is where we're gonna plant stuff!" Ash told his friends excitedly, leading them to a large patch of dirt that had been prepared for planting. His mother was already there, sowing seeds in a row behind a sign that had 'PEPPERS' written on it. "My mom bought a lot of small plants for us, so you guys can choose what you wanna grow."

"What are you gonna grow?" Leaf asked. It was her birthday today (since it was Earth Day), but she didn't mind spending it gardening. After all, the idea of raising a plant all by herself starting from her birthday felt great, since it then felt like it was the plant's birthday too.

"I wanna grow carrots!" Ash announced eagerly. "Carrots and peppers are the best veggies there are! Who could ever hate them? Look, I even made a sign." He held up a cardboard rectangle that was taped onto a popsicle stick and had 'CAROTS' written on, along with the drawing of an orange triangle with green spikes coming out of the top.

"That's not how you spell 'carrots'," Leaf said, frowning. "There are two 'r's."

"Really?" Ash looked at his sign.

"Yeah," Drew chimed in. "My tutor was giving me a spelling test. It has two 'r's."

"Oh." Ash stared at his sign thoughtfully and picked up the marker he had used to write the label. There wasn't enough room for another big 'R', but maybe if he could just squeeze it in a small letter 'r'...

Soon, a sign saying 'CARrOTs' was proudly sticking out of the ground.

"Hm, what should I plant?" May wondered as she examined the small plants.

"I'll plant broccoli," Drew said decidedly after contemplating the options.

"I'll do tomatoes! I love baby tomatoes," Leaf said, happily picking up a small cherry tomato plant pot.

"This is boring," Gary grumbled. "We can buy vegetables at the store. Why don't we just go to the grocery store and buy them?"

"Because it's funner to eat vegetables you grew all by yourself," Leaf said wisely.

"What are you gonna grow, Paul?" Drew asked the final friend curiously.

"I don't want to plant food," Paul said boldly.

"Then are you gonna grow flowers?" May asked.

"No." Paul held himself up as if he held great importance. "I'm gonna plant... a tree."

"A tree?" Gary perked up.

"Wow," said Ash, impressed. "How are you gonna plant such a big tree?"

"I told Reggie I would, so he said we'll go buy a tree tomorrow."

"That's so cool! You're gonna plant a whole entire tree!"

"No you're not," Gary interjected, causing all eyes to turn towards him. "It's too big to plant."

Paul shook his head. "No. Reggie said people plant trees all the time, so it's a great idea that I will too."

"Your brother was lying. How will you be able to plant a whole tree?"

"He was not lying! He said he'll show me how!"

"He won't be able to," Gary insisted, causing Paul to scowl. Reggie was able to do a lot of things! Paul knew his brother would know how to plant a tree too.

"Yes, he will!"

"Won't!"

"Maybe you should just plant Gary," Leaf suggested mischievously. "His name is Gary _Oak_, and 'oak' is the name of a tree!"

"Yeah, and I'll plant him and leave him outside all night," Paul agreed, still glaring at his spiky-haired friend. Gary sent a glare back that said, 'Don't you dare even try!'

Other than the two of them bickering, everyone had plenty of fun choosing and picking their plants. They each got their own small patch where they put up signs similar to Ash's to indicate where their plants were.

Other than Ash's 'CARrOT' sign, there were also Drew's 'BROKLEE' label, and Leaf's 'TOMAYTO' label. May, after thinking long and hard, had selected strawberries as what she was going to grow (who didn't like strawberries?), and had created her 'STRAWBREE' sign, while Gary had finally chosen to plant cucumbers with a 'CUKUMBR' sign. And Ash succeeded in convincing Paul to plant something today as well, that being a 'HOT PEPPER' plant (his spelling was accurate because he just copied the spelling of Ash's mom's 'PEPPER' sign).

And thus began their hard work of watering and watching their plants, wondering when they would grow. It took all day! Being responsible sure was tiring.

* * *

The friends all met up at Ash's house again a few days later to see the progress their plants had made. Ash insisted that his 'carrot tree' had grown even more, and May was convinced it was the same case for her strawberries, even though she couldn't see any fruit just yet (Delia, Ash's mom, had told them it took a very long time for the actual food to grow).

Leaf, however, was slightly disheartened at the fact that a bug Pokemon might have nibbled on some leaves, but Delia was able to report to her that it would live. But unlike hopeful Leaf, Drew felt his broccoli might have died, and Gary thought his cucumbers wouldn't grow at all, so he had brought some store-bought cucumbers to snack on.

Paul, on the other hand, didn't seem too concerned about whether his hot peppers survived or not since he felt he didn't need to grow them anymore, as he had replaced them. Because, true to his word, he had brought a tree. A real life tree. A real... tiny tree?

"What's that?" Gary asked when he saw the small green sapling sticking out of the pot Paul had brought with him.

Paul stared at it for a moment before answering. "It's a tree."

Gary blinked, then burst out laughing. "That's your tree? _That's_ your huge tree? That's not a tree, that's a tiny plant!"

"It is too a tree!" Paul argued crossly. True, he too had been surprised when he'd found out this was what Reggie had meant when he had said they would buy a tree, but the store lady had also called it a tree, so his brother probably wouldn't be lying... right?

"It's a baby tree!" May gushed. "It's so cute! I'm gonna name it Mimi!"

"No, his name is not Mimi! That's a girl's name!" Paul snapped. "He's a boy!"

"How do you know?" Leaf asked. "It looks more like a girl to me."

"Nah, it's more like a boy," Ash said.

"It's not even a tree," Gary said, arms crossed. "Paul is just pretending."

"Am not!" Paul scowled. "Reggie AND the shop lady said it was a tree! They called it a sap-ling, cuz that's what you call a tiny tree."

"A sap-ling is probably just a different kind of plant," Gary said, shrugging. "They tricked you."

"No, they didn't! I know it's a tree! Reggie tricks me sometimes, but the shop people don't, and they said it'll grow up to be a HUGE tree!"

Leaf started giggling all of a sudden as she realized something. "Reggie rhymes with veggie!" she said in a singsong voice. "Reggie is a veggie!"

"No he isn't," Paul protested, annoyed. His brother was not a vegetable. Granted, his dark purple hair did sometimes remind Paul of eggplants, but Paul knew that didn't mean his brother was one.

Their arguing soon ended when Delia joined them, and showed Paul a special, separate place when he could plant his tree. After it was safely rooted into the ground, Delia suggested the purple-haired boy go tend to his hot peppers, which he did since there wasn't much else to do.

"Ash's Mommy," May said, a while later. "How do plants grow? They don't move or eat or breathe."

"They don't move," Delia said, "but they do breathe and eat, just in a different way from us. We can't see them do it when we just look at them."

"What do they eat?"

"They absorb nutrients from the soil, and from fertilizers and the plant food we give them. They absorb water too, as well as sunlight, which gives them energy."

"How does sunlight give them energy? How do they absorb it?"

"Their green colour helps with that. Then it does something called photosynthesis, and... well actually, it's very complicated to explain, and I'm not sure I'll be the best at doing that. Maybe you should ask your teacher."

May decided she would.

She continued tending to her soon-to-be strawberries, but then spotted Drew crouching down beside the broccoli plant he had planted, worriedly poking it with his finger as he tried to determine whether it was still breathing.

Drew and his _green_ hair.

May cocked her head curiously and walked over to him.

"Whatcha doing?" she asked as she sat down beside her friend.

"I'm tryna see if it's growing. It's not." He frowned, brushing his fringe out of his eyes.

"Your hair is green," May said. "Ash's mommy says green plants use the sun and grow. Is that why your hair grows? Because it's green?"

Drew thought for a moment. "All hair grows," he said finally.

"But green plants grow 'cause of the sun. Maybe your hair does too."

"No," Drew said, shaking his head. "Plants are different."

"How?"

"They grow in the ground."

"Oh. Then.. does that mean that if we put your hair into the ground, it'll grow?"

"Hm..." Drew had never thought about that. "I don't know."

"But it'll be green and in the ground like plants are."

Couldn't argue with that logic.

"Can I try?" May asked, her eyes shining eagerly.

"No, you can't take my hair."

"Just a tiny bit," May pleaded. "A teeny tiny bit. I can use scissors and cut a teeny tiny snip-snip and we can see if it grows when we put it in the dirt."

At first, Drew was reluctant, but finally, he agreed, as he too was immensely interested in the outcome of this experiment.

May quickly ran and got Delia's scissors (the small kind she used to clip off the dead leaves of her plants) and came back. Using them, she snipped off a 'small' (her definition of small) lock of Drew's head of green, and made a small hole in the ground, where the hair was then planted.

It just sat there in the dirt, which was wet with plant-watering. She gave it a pat.

"It takes a while for it to grow," she informed her friend.

He nodded understandingly. He then he touched his hair in the spot where it was shorter than before.

"Only my hair dresser cuts my hair," he said, a hint of worry suddenly plaguing his mind. "Are you allowed to?"

"I didn't cut you hair, I snipped it," May justified. "And I think it looks_ gorgeous_!" She smiled proudly at her use of a long word.

Drew felt better.

* * *

A week passed, and the six kindergarteners decided on meeting up at Ash's again.

May was the first to arrive. Her mother had some errands to run, so she had dropped her off early. Delia happily welcomed her in, and the little girl eagerly waited for Ash to come downstairs so the two could go into the garden before anyone else.

"Hi, May!" Ash said cheerfully as he came hurrying to meet her.

"Hi Ash!" May chirped. "Come on, let's go! I wanna see my strawberries!"

The two hurried out the sliding door into the backyard and towards the vegetable path.

"Hi Mimi!" May greeted Paul's tree before turning to her strawberry plant. "Hi Strawber—"

She stopped short, her eyes widening in horror as she saw what was happening.

There was a small Pidgey amongst the plants in the vegetable patch. And it was pecking at May's strawberry plant.

"No!" May shrieked, jumping back. When Ash looked bemused at her behaviour, she pointed at the Pokemon, and shrieked, "It's eating my strawberries! It's eating my strawberries! Save them!"

Ash understood, and fearlessly ran towards it. "Go away!" he yelled, flailing his arms. "Go away!"

The Pidgey, frightened, began hurrying away from him. It flapped it's wings a few times, but didn't take off. Instead, it ran with Ash chasing after it until it reached the fence. There was nowhere else to go. The poor little Pidgey looked scared out of its wits as it stared at the black-haired boy.

Ash stopped his wild acting and frowned. "Why isn't it flying away?" he said in wonder.

"Make it go! Make it go!" May yelled, still keeping her distance.

"Wait..." Ash said, tilting his head in confusion. "Its wing looks hurt."

He crouched down to its level, smiling and saying in a quieter, friendly voice, "Hello, Pidgey. I'm sorry I scared you. You were eating my friend's strawberries, so I thought you were a bad Pidgey. But you're not. You're a good Pidgey. Is your wing hurt?"

He edged closer and closer to the terrified flying-type, holding out his arm so that it was close to it without touching it. "Come on," he coaxed.

"Don't do it, Ash!" May screamed. "It'll eat your fingers!"

Ash ignored her frantic yells. "It's okay," he said sweetly, an innocent look on his face as he watched the Pidgey. "I won't hurt you. I wanna be friends." He had seen Professor Oak do something similar many times when he was trying to help a small, scared Pokemon. "Come on little Pidgey."

Finally, as May watched on anxiously, the Pidgey crept a little forward, letting Ash pet its head, though it did so with caution.

"See? I won't hurt ya!" Ash assured it. And little by little, it came closer until Ash picked it up. It snuggled into his shirt.

"Aw," a voice said. The voice belonging to Leaf, who had arrived unnoticed. "It's so cute! Where did it come from?"

"It was eating my strawberries," May told her. Apparently, May held a grudge against those who attempted to eat her food. Even if it hadn't grown yet.

"That little guy?" Leaf went up to Ash to get a closer look. "I think it's a baby. It's smaller than other Pidgey I see."

"Yeah," said Ash. "It hurt its wing too, so it can't fly home."

"What is it?" Delia had arrived, and Ash and Leaf then explained the Pidgey, with May putting in how it was eating her strawberries.

"Oh, the poor dear!" said Delia. "Well then, we should help it get better quickly."

"Can we keep it?" Ash asked. But his mother shook her head.

"No," she said. "It's a wild Pokemon. It probably misses its family."

Ash and Leaf were a bit crestfallen that the Pidgey couldn't be kept, but were still eager to help it get back into the air. Delia then treated the Pidgey's wing, despite it being terrified at first, and then they (mostly Ash and Leaf) fed it, with May watching them warily.

"It's great that you guys want to take care of this Pidgey," Delia gushed. "I know it's not Earth Day anymore, but this is the kind of thing it's all about."

"Huh?" Ash was confused. "I thought you just took care of plants on Earth Day."

"Earth Day is more than that. It's about caring for our planet, and everything on it, like the environment, plants, and yes, even the Pokemon."

Drew, Gary and Paul soon arrived, and were told the story of the poor Pidgey. While Paul was uninterested, Gary and Drew certainly were. Gary bragged about how he dealt with these kinds of things on his grandpa's ranch all the time, and suggested that he be the one to keep it, something which Leaf and Ash promptly refused. Drew admired it and asked what its name was, and Leaf declared its name to be Piddy.

Drew soon found himself being dragged away from the excitement by May.

"I want to see Piddy," Drew said.

"No." May refused to release him. "First, we gotta see if your hair grew."

They went to the spot where Drew's hair was 'growing', only to find that it had become matted and flattened with dirt, and some of it had mysteriously disappeared.

"It's dead," said Drew.

"No it's not," May said optimistically. "Piddy just ate a little bit of it." She poked it with her finger. "It's growing," she informed him.

Drew frowned, unconvinced.

"Your hair's different today," May noted.

And indeed it was. It was styled differently so that the area where May had cut off some hair was concealed. May had noticed it during kindergarten class, but hadn't had the chance to ask about it.

"My hair dresser told me not to cut _or_ snip my hair anymore," Drew said.

* * *

Days passed, and the six friends found that they couldn't meet up on most days, and there were some days when only one or two could make it. But on most of those days, Piddy got plenty of attention, mostly from Leaf and Ash, with Drew joining in and Gary trying to act influential to it too.

May was often left out of this Piddy-loving group, as she did not like Pokemon and she did not like Piddy, who had nearly eaten her strawberries. But because of this, she usually found herself left alone, because she couldn't even drag Drew with her with the excuse of hair-watching, since the hair had all mysteriously disappeared on the third day, and Drew refused to take the risk of letting her snip it again. May suspecting Piddy to be the culprit for the stolen hair.

May spend these alone-days with Paul, who spent all day sitting as still as a statue, watching Mimi. May would watch Mimi too, and think to herself that Paul and Mimi were her only friends for those times.

Finally came the day Ash, Leaf, Gary and Drew were dreading, May was looking forward to, and Paul didn't care about. The day Piddy's wing healed and it had to be let go. However, Piddy seemed to have become accustomed of staying perched on Ash's shoulder, and refused to fly away. It was a few days afterwards, when a Pidgeotto was flying overhead that Piddy flew up to join it. It was clearly a happy reunion for the two flying-types.

"Don't forget me, Piddy!" Leaf called up to it. "Then maybe, when I become a trainer, you could travel with me!"

"No, with me!" Gary said. "And don't forget everything I taught you!"

"Please come to visit sometimes!" Drew reminded it.

"Goodbye, Piddy!" Ash bid his farewells.

The four spend a long time standing there, waving to it as it flew off with the Pidgeotto. Too long, in May's opinion. But once they were done, May was happy everything went back to the way it originally was, with the six of them taking good care of the food that was soon to grow. And Paul looking after Mimi.

* * *

Weeks passed. Many tiring weeks. It was a long time before the vegetables and fruits started growing, and even longer before they were ready to be harvested. Paul Mimi hadn't grown that much, but Delia assured him it would, though it would take some years. She promised to take care of it during the winter for him too.

Then, Delia, using her excellent cooking skills, created a masterpiece of a meal, which they all had happily. May thought her strawberries were the juiciest she had ever eaten. Drew was glad his broccoli did not die, and instead turned out wonderfully. Ash ate most of the carrots he grew himself, saying they were so delicious, he couldn't stop. Gary claimed his cucumbers to be the best vegetable ever, even better than store cucumbers. Leaf enjoyed stuffing her mouth with her cherry tomatoes, so her mouth was filled with juicy tomato every time she bit down. And finally, Paul couldn't help but feel proud whenever someone accidentally ate one of his hot peppers and ended up burning his or her mouth with the spiciness.

Their crops had been very successful, and they had the Earth to thank for it!

* * *

**Yum yum! Makes me want to have some vegetables too! Oh, and in case it was unclear, if you're wondering why May's age was (5-6), it was to show that at the start of the chapter, she was five, and by the end, she was six, since weeks had passed.  
**

**After I started writing this, I realized that Misty would have been fun to put in here too. Just imagine her planting a plant, eagerly waiting many weeks for it to grow, and when she pulls it out, WHAM! It's a carrot! Hence a horrified Misty (since she hates carrots and peppers)! **

**But I wanted to keep them the youngest I could for this chapter, and Misty didn't come until grade two, so unfortunately, I couldn't include her. I did sort of hint at her, though, when Ash says carrots and peppers were the best vegetables, and "Who could ever hate them?" The answering to that being Misty, though she hasn't met him yet.**

**Anyways, I think I mentioned on the top author's note, it's going to be a busy month, so I can't promise many updates. Sorry! But I'll still try!**

**Thanks for reading!**

**Bye bye for now! Have a great day, and smile all the way, and if you can, have some fruits and vegetables today! :)**


	54. Clash of the Snowballs

**Hey everyone! Sorry to keep you waiting, but here is the next chapter!**

**Today's topic was suggested by _jessicuhxoo_.**

**Disclaimer: I do not own Pokemon in any way, shape or size!**

* * *

**Clash of the Snowballs**

**Grade Two  
**

**May (7), Drew (7), Ash (7), Misty (7), Gary (7), Leaf (7), Paul (7)**

Ah, winter! The time of year when the coldness was a perfect excuse to ask for as much hot chocolate as you want, and when winter holidays approached, and, best of all, when it snowed.

Some people didn't like winter, saying it was much too cold to enjoy the outdoors, and the clouds blocked out the sun, and the snow was bothersome to have to walk through. Like a grade two girl from May's school named Iris. She definitely didn't enjoy winter.

On the other hand, May and her friends enjoyed this time of year. True, some days it was too cold to go outside, but on some days, it was the perfect opportunity to play in the snow.

Like today.

There they were, all gathered at Drew's in his spacious front yard (which his friends thought might as well be called a field), all bundled up with their jackets and snow-pants and hats and gloves, running around playing in the limitless snow.

Ash and May were making snow angels, while Leaf was helping Misty make an enormous snow-Marill, with both using all their strength to push the massive snow ball they'd made even more to increase its size.

Drew was sipping on the hot chocolate his butler had brought, finishing up quickly so he could join the others, who had already drank theirs, when suddenly, a snowball came seemingly out of nowhere, hitting him hard in the face before falling into his mug.

"Huh?" he looked up, giving the culprit an annoyed look. "Gary! What was that for?"

"What was what for?" Gary asked innocently, bending down to pick up another handful of snow and rounding it off into a ball.

"The snowball you threw fell into my hot chocolate," Drew complained.

"Wasn't me," Gary said before throwing the snowball in his hand at Drew and grinning. "_That_ was me."

"Gary!" But Gary had already turned and ran off.

Drew wondered for a moment whether he should chase after him. It was what Gary wanted, to lure Drew into a snowball fight, one in which Drew knew Gary's abilities excelled compared to his. He didn't have time to think for too long, though, because another snowball landed its mark on his jacket with the same force the first one had been thrown. Gary was right. It wasn't him who had thrown it first; it was another boy, one who was wearing a grey hat over his purple hair.

"Well?" said Paul impatiently. "Are you playing or not?"

Drew hesitated before determinedly accepting the challenge. "You're on!"

"Good." Before Drew even had a chance to react, he found his face covered in snow again before Paul made his getaway.

"Why you!" Drew ran after him, picking up some snow as he went.

* * *

Meanwhile, Ash and May were standing up to admire their snow angel masterpieces.

"Yours looks like a Beautifly," May said to Ash.

"I think it's more like a Butterfree," Ash said, cocking his head to look at it from a different angle.

"Mine's a Dustox," May said, pointing at hers.

"Yeah! It's so cool—"

But their chat was interrupted abruptly when Gary ran right over top their snow angels in an attempt to escape a storm of snowballs, courtesy of Paul and Drew, who had, at some point, agreed to team up against their spiky-haired friend.

"Sorry, make way!" Gary yelled as he passed them, darting behind a tree. He quickly threw a snowball back to counter Paul's and Drew's, but instead of hitting his intended targets, the snow hit Ash's jacket.

"Hey, stop it!" Ash said angrily.

"Yeah!" May said. "You ruined our snow angels!"

"Sorry!" Gary called out before running to reposition himself as Paul nearly caught up to him, with Drew following closely behind.

"Should we get him?" Ash said, turning to May.

May nodded. "Let's."

And those two took off, creating snowballs as they did to pelt Gary with their vengeance. They chased after him, throwing the snowballs they'd made, accidentally hitting Drew and Paul instead, since they were in the way.

"Come on, guys, aim better. Stop throwing them at me," Drew said, turning back to them.

"Sorry!" May called out, still running.

"Of course only you would have such bad aim, December."

"My name is _May_, Drew!"

Paul suddenly stopped to observe the situation behind him. It looked like Ash and May had joined in too, and they were all after Gary. But it wouldn't be fun if there were only one person he had to try to hit. He'd much rather fight against_ them_...

"Gary, new alliance!" he called out. "I'm on you're side now!" And he made sure to throw a couple of balls at Ash and Drew before running off to join his new partner.

"All right!" Gary cheered.

"Traitor!" Drew yelled accusingly.

"Let's get them!" Ash said, raising both hands in the air, and the three continued the chase.

* * *

"All done!" Misty said proudly as she added the finishing touches on the snow-Marill she and Leaf had been making.

"Wow, this is the best snow thing I've ever made!" Leaf exclaimed.

"Yeah, it almost looks like the real thing!"

"What should we name it?"

"Hm, I think maybe..."

Before Misty had a chance to decide, some snowballs came flying right in their direction. The two yelped and jumped to the side to avoid getting hit, but unfortunately, their snow-Marill couldn't move and was struck. One of its ears fell to the snowy ground.

"Hey!" Misty yelled angrily, turning to where her other friends were trying to aim at one another. "You ruined our snow-Marill! You have no idea how hard we worked on it!"

"Incoming!" Gary yelled as he threw more snowballs in their direction, trying to hit Ash who was frantically running everywhere to avoid becoming the target. Misty and Leaf managed to duck behind their giant snow-Marill for protection just in time. Its ear might not have been that sturdy, but the rest of it made a good fort.

Leaf and Misty looked each other in the eye. In a slow, determined voice, Leaf spoke three words: "This. Is. War."

"What the—? Where are those coming from?" Drew said in shock as he, as well as May, Ash, Gary and Paul became caught in an onslaught of snowballs.

"Fort Marill will show no mercy!" Misty cried out as she threw snowball after snowball in rapid succession.

"Take no prisoners! Bring them all down!" Leaf also let out her battle cry as she mimicked Misty's actions.

"Drats! Retreat is necessary!" Paul hissed, darting behind a tree. Gary tried following after his partner, only to find himself betrayed when he was struck in the face by a snowball by the purple-head.

"Hey, I thought we were on the same side!" Gary shouted, brushing snow bits off his face.

"At this point, it's every man for himself," Paul said solemnly.

"What?! Fine then!" Gary turned, his eyes landing on Drew. "Drew, team up!"

"Wha'?" Drew found himself being unexpectedly dragged behind another tree by Gary.

"So, what's the plan?" Gary said.

Drew peeked from behind the tree trunk to carefully analyze their situation. "We take down the Marill fort," he said.

"Excellent plan, Hayden," Gary said in agreement. "But the question is, how?"

Ash and May were also trying to escape Misty and Leaf, but were surprised when the snowballs came to an abrupt halt. Not only that, Misty and Leaf were calling their names.

"May! Ash! Over here!"

"May, Ketchum, get over here now!"

The two cautiously made their way over, only to be pulled behind the fort as well.

"What's this all about?" Ash asked warily.

"You guys are on our side now," Misty proclaimed. "Okay, Ketchum, you get to work creating snowballs. May, you try to make our fort bigger so that no one can hit us from any side. Leaf and I will do the snowball throwing."

"Wait, what?" Ash said, bewildered.

"I need to make this fort bigger all by myself?" May squeaked nervously.

"Yes, now, to work!" Misty said sternly.

Both obeyed without question. The four waited behind Fort Marill quietly, with perhaps the only one making noise was May, who was whining because she was having trouble making the fort walls. Their opponents didn't seem to be revealing themselves just yet.

"May, stop whining," Misty demanded.

"It's distracting when I'm trying to make more snowballs," Ash said.

"But I can't make this fort! It's too hard!" May complained.

"You have to," Leaf said. "It's your job."

"Hmph! Not anymore!" May stood up, arms crossed, frowning. "I'm gonna go join Drew and Gary!"

"Wait, May—" But before Ash or the other two could stop her, she had already run off into the open.

"Fire!" yelled Gary, as both he and Drew began pelting her with snowballs.

"Wait—!" May tried to say while avoiding getting hit. But before she could explain her intentions, she felt a rough hand grab her arm and pull her behind the cover of a tree.

"You're on my team now," Paul said. "Start making snowballs."

"But I—" May began.

"Hey, she can't be on your team!" Gary yelled from another tree. "Didn't you say every man for himself?"

"That means two men can't work together or help each other," Paul explained. "But May's not a man."

"I'm not sure that's what it means," Drew said thoughtfully, but was ignored.

"Come on, we need more snowballs," Paul ordered, and May, not knowing what else to do, obeyed.

Then, it was quiet. No one was making any moves just yet, everyone waiting for the right time. Until...

"NOW!" Misty screamed as she, Leaf and Ash left the cover of their fort, carrying armfuls of snowballs. Leaf and Ash ran towards the tree where Paul and May were hidden, while Misty went for Gary and Drew.

"Attack!" Gary yelled out.

"Onward! To victory!" Leaf shouted.

Snowballs collided. Everyone had piles of snowballs prepared for this. The final battle.

"Gary, the fort!" Drew reminded him.

"Right! Ready? Go!"

Gary and Drew leapt out from behind their tree, running in different directions, confusing Misty as to whom she was supposed to chase. She decided to go after Gary, speeding after him. But while she was distracted, Drew made it to the Marill fort.

"And I hereby claim this fort as Gary and Drew's!" Drew announced loudly, causing Misty, Leaf and Ash to look back.

"No!" Ash said in horror, as he and Leaf abandoned their attack on Paul and May to go get their fort back.

"You are going to pay for this!" Misty screamed at Gary as he ducked behind the fort as well. She began running towards them like Leaf and Ash were, throwing snowball after snowball while they countered with their own snowballs in return.

"Now?" May asked Paul.

He nodded. "Now."

Both finally left the protection of their tree, charging toward their victims with arms full of snow.

"What the—" Ash managed to say before he was hit in the face.

"It's an ambush!" Leaf yelled out, trying to counter. Unfortunately, she, along with Ash and Misty, was being attacked from both sides, from Gary and Drew, and Paul and May.

"We need an escape. Retreat!" Misty called out, and she and her two partners jumped behind a large snow-covered bush.

"What do we do now?" Leaf wondered. "It'll be hard to take them all down _and_ get our fort back."

"I know," Misty said, snapping her fingers as an idea popped into her head. "Think about it. There are three of us, and two teams out there. Ash can run out into the open as a distraction, while Leaf can do a sneak attack on May and Paul. As for me, I'll go get our fort back. One good thing about May leaving us: she never did end up securing our fort defense, so it shouldn't be too hard for me to sneak in from behind. Everyone clear? Any questions?"

"Why do I have to be the distraction?" Ash said sulkily.

"Good, let's head out," Misty said, ignoring his question. "Ash, you have to run out first."

Ash scowled, but obeyed. He ran out in plain view of his enemies, and was instantly bombarded with with dozens and dozens of snowballs. But he endured it. He had to for his teammates. He couldn't let Misty and Leaf down!

As planned, Leaf then slinked through the cover of trees and bushes to get behind Paul and May (who were busy attacking Ash) undetected. Then, as quickly as she could, she began creating snowballs and aiming them at her targets.

"Gah! Where did that come from?" May said once she was hit, turning around to catch sight of the culprit.

Paul turned around too, and reacted instantly by retaliating. When Leaf made a run for it, Paul uttered only two words to May: "Get her."

While Ash continued being targeted by Drew and Gary, and Leaf wove in between trees to escape her chasers, Misty took the opportunity to win back Fort Marill. She very stealthily positioned herself behind the two boys, and before they knew it, they were under attack.

"Gah! We've been infiltrated!" Gary shouted as he jumped away from the snow-Marill.

"What does 'infiltrated' mean?" Drew asked as he followed behind.

"It means someone's in our fort and we need to get away!" Gary explained while they ran.

"Hah!" Misty cheered victoriously. "Leaf, Ash, I got the fort back!"

"Great!" Ash cheered. As he was no longer being hit by snowballs by Gary and Drew, who were currently looking for another refuge, he was free to join Misty behind the Marill.

"Come on, Leaf!" he called out to his friend.

"Yeah, Leaf, hurry! Get away from them!" Misty chimed in.

Poor Leaf was finding it impossible to comply with their wishes, but she finally found a way out by luck. She'd been running, when she slipped and bumped into a tree, causing the tree's branches to shake, and let all the snow on top of them to fall... right onto Paul and May. As they struggled to escape the avalanche, Leaf arrived at Fort Marill, tired, but perfectly all right.

"Yes! Victory!" Misty cheered.

"Young Master, it is time to for you and your friends to come on inside," Drew's butler's voice suddenly interrupted their intense battle.

"What?" Ash said in surprise.

"Already?" Gary grumbled. "Right when we were about to start our counterattack!"

"Can we stay for five more minutes?" Drew asked hopefully.

But his butler shook his head. "I'm afraid not. Your friends' parents will be arriving soon, and currently, your and all of your friends' jackets and snow things are covered in snow. They need to be tidied up before they leave. Now come inside and have some hot chocolate."

Snowballs flew no more as the seven made their way through the door.

Well, almost no snowballs.

Right before Paul and Gary entered, they found the back of their heads struck with one snowball each.

"What—?"

"Huh?"

When they turned around, they came face to face with a rather smug-looking Drew, smirking at them in triumph.

"Hah!" he said as he flipped his hair and proudly strutted inside, thoroughly content at having exacted his revenge for earlier.

* * *

**Yay, Drew got his revenge! Paul and Gary had started the snowball fight by first making Drew their victim, and Drew got to end it! I'd actually had the idea for doing a snowball fight one for a looong time, but then someone suggested it, so voila!  
**

**Oh, and you may have noticed that I changed the cover back to the original. I hadn't been sure which would be better, but thanks to your comments, I was able to decide. Thanks!**

**School's starting on Monday, and this year is kind of going to be the school year that decides my whole future (which I don't think is fair, because why must school be the thing to decide your whole future?!), so don't be surprised if I don't update often. So, yeah. (Aw, my summer holidays are almost over. Oh well, they were fun while they lasted!)**

**Thanks for reading!**

**Bye bye for now! Have a great day, and smile all the way! :)  
**


	55. Television Stars

**Hellooo, all you wonderful readers! Chapter time!**

**Today's chapter emerged from a combination of suggestions from _FangirlHikari_, _Enter Name_, and a guest reviewer. Enjoy!**

**Disclaimer: I do not own Pokemon in any way shape or size.**

* * *

**Television Stars  
**

**(Summer after) Kindergarten  
**

**May (6), Gary (6), Leaf (6), Ash (6), Drew (6), Paul (6)**

It was on one rainy summer day that May and her friends found themselves confined to Gary's house.

Normally, they would all go outside and enjoy the sunny summer weather, usually heading for the park. But today, dark grey clouds occupied the sky, blocking out the sun and letting icy droplets pour incessantly onto the world below, drenching it in glistening water. They couldn't even go out to splash in the puddles since it was raining too hard and the wind was sweeping through the air, sending shivers running through anyone who dared to step outdoors.

Fortunately, Gary knew exactly how to combat boredom. He declared that they could all watch TV, because that's what people did when they were bored. Unfortunately, the existence of remotes was making life more difficult for them, as all six of them found themselves battling one another for control over the little device.

"Ha!" Paul said victoriously, smirking as he held the remote he'd snatched from Gary's grip, claiming it for himself. "I got it!"

"No fair!" Gary yelled. "I was distracted! Drew, you distracted me!"

"No I didn't!" Drew protested indignantly.

"Well, Paul has it now," Leaf said, frowning. "That means he gets to choose what we watch. So what're we gonna watch?"

The five unhappily turned to their purple-haired friend, who stood there, remote clutched in his grasp. His triumphant expression transformed into a bored one.

"I don't know," he said, shrugging. "I don't even wanna watch TV that much."

With that, he placed the remote onto the coffee table and then sat down on the sofa. And thus the fight for power over the television by use of its controller recommenced, though this time, among five.

"What is going on here?" Daisy, Gary's older sister, said exasperatedly as she entered the room. "I have final exams, and I have to study. But it's impossible with all of you making this ruckus!"

"Huh? Why do you have to study?" Ash asked, confused. "School's done."

"Not for Daisy," Gary said quickly. "Kindergarten finishes before the big grades."

"That's right," Daisy confirmed. "Your classes may have ended a few days ago, but mine are still ongoing. And final exams are extremely important. So tell me what's wrong so we can settle this right now."

"Gary won't share the remote," May whined.

"I wanna choose what we watch!" Gary explained.

"But a great show is coming right now!" Ash said. "It always comes when the small clock hand is on the two, and I wanna watch it!"

"I think we should take turns," Drew reasoned logically. "I can go first, and then—"

"Why do _you_ get to go first?" Leaf said, folding her arms. "It's not fair!"

"Guys," Daisy said sharply. Once she got their attention, she sighed. "Okay, I think that Drew's idea is a good one. All of you can _share_."

Drew held himself up proudly and flipped his hair fringe. "Yes," he said with a nod. We'll share."

"But why does he get to go first?" Gary complained sourly. "_I_ wanna—"

"Gary," Daisy sternly interrupted her brother, causing him to fall silent and sulk. She turned to the rest of them. "Now, to take turns, we'll pick someone randomly, and they will choose who goes after them. And second turns can only be had after everyone's had a turn once. Okay? I'm thinking of a number between zero and eleven, and you guys guess what it is."

"Why?" May asked curiously.

"Whoever guesses closest to the number I'm thinking of gets first turn."

"Oh."

"Okay, I have a number. Now, guess!"

"Seven," Gary said immediately.

"Ten," Ash guessed.

"Um... three?" May said hopefully.

"Four," Drew said with confidence.

"Hm... It's eight, isn't it?" Leaf said, grinning.

"Okay, what's the number?" Gary asked eagerly.

"Wait, doesn't Paul still have to guess?" Daisy pointed out.

"No, he doesn't wanna watch TV," Ash said. "So, what is it?"

"It's... eight."

"I win!" Leaf cheered, raising both fists in the air. "I knew it!"

"What? How did you know?" Gary asked, astonished. "Daisy always picks seven!"

"I know," Leaf said, grinning as the remote was handed to her. "But sometimes, she suddenly picks a number that isn't seven. And that number is eight!"

"It's not fair!"

"Guys, please," Daisy said, quieting them down. "Okay, I guess I _do_ do that a lot, what Leaf said. But I did say whoever could guess the closest number gets the remote, so Leaf gets first turn. Now don't fight, and don't keep the volume too high because I need to study. Okay?"

With that clear, the older girl left upstairs to her room. The remaining five joined Paul on the sofa.

"So whatcha gonna watch?" Ash asked.

"You'll see!" Leaf chirped as she flipped through the channels. But she frowned when she couldn't find the show she wanted. "It's not coming on right now. Aw..."

"My turn," Gary said, reaching for the remote.

"No it's not. _I_ get to choose who's next!" Leaf reminded him. "And I choose... May!"

May delightfully giggled in glee as she took possession of the remote. She flipped through the channels, searching for something to watch, when suddenly, Leaf shouted out.

"Wait! Go back to the other channel!"

"Why?"

"Hurry! Or else it'll be over!"

May was puzzled, but she still obeyed and went back a channel. It was some talk show. There was a group of people, all sitting on chairs with a hostess.

"And now," the hostess said, "it's time for the Celebrity Hour! I'm your hostess, Rhonda, and for today's celebrities, we have... the Dexholders! "

There was a cheer that went through the audience, and the camera began focusing on whom Rhonda had called 'Dexholders'. They all looked like they ranged from mid to late teens.

"Yay, itt's the Dexholders!" Ash exclaimed. "They're so cool!"

"They're not THAT great," Gary said, pretending it wasn't that impressive.

"Who are they?" May asked curiously.

"These prodigies completed their Pokemon studies and became first class trainers at young ages. Of course, there are more Dexholders than the ten we have here today, but for now, let's introduce Red, Green, Blue, Yellow, Gold, Silver, Crystal, Ruby, Sapphire, aaaaand Emerald!"

Cheers from fans erupted, and it was so loud, May felt the need to turn down the volume.

"So who are they?" Drew repeated May's question.

"You don't know?" Leaf said in surprise. "They're the Dexholders!"

"Yeah, they're so cool!" Ash chimed in. "My favourite is Red!"

"Who are the Dexholders?" May asked curiously, bemused at her friends' reactions.

"Them." Leaf pointed to the people in the screen. "And one's even related to Gary!"

Yeah, he is." Gary pointed to one of the Dexholders, one who had green eyes, spiky hair (which was spikier than Gary's) and bore a slight resemblance to the boy. "He's not _very_ related to me; just a bit. And he calls my grandpa 'Grandfather' too. And his name's Green. Or maybe Blue? I don't remember."

"How don't you remember?" Leaf asked. "You even met him!"

"Just a few times," Gary said defensively. "And he's always with that girl." He pointed to a girl with long brown hair and blue eyes who was sitting in the seat next to Gary's apparent relative. "He came to meet Grandpa with her a few times, and Grandpa looks at both of them and says, 'Hello, Green, Blue,' so it's hard to tell who's he calling 'Green', and who he's calling 'Blue'."

"Oh."

"But I know which one's Red!" Ash exclaimed. He pointed to one of the Dexholders who had black hair, red eyes, and was wearing a baseball cap, like Ash did. "He's so cool! I wanna be just like him when I'm a trainer!"

"He beat the Pokemon League," Gary interjected. "You're not _that_ good, Ashy-boy. You can't be cool like him."

But, for once, Ash didn't even try to retaliate. Instead, his eyes gleamed with excitement, transfixed on Red, whom Rhonda was questioning right now.

"He wears clothes like you," Drew noted.

"Yeah," Ash said. "I wanna be just like him, so I ask my mom to make me clothes like the ones he wears. She didn't make my hat, though. I got that from a special draw. It's kinda like Red's though. And I even bought gloves like him!" Ash held up his hands to show off his finger-less gloves. "They're green, though, but they were the last ones, and someone else was gonna buy them, but I got them first, and then I buyed them, and so I won, so my gloves are winner gloves! They're my favourite!"

"Wow," May marvelled.

"That one looks kinda like May," Drew said thoughtfully, staring at one of the Dexholder girls.

"That's Sapphire," Leaf informed him. "She's a strong battler, and she's friends with Ruby. Ruby's a coordinator."

"You think Sapphire looks like me?" May said, examining Sapphire more closely.

"Yeah, kinda," Drew said, tilting his head.

"Which one do you you like best, Paul?" Leaf asked, turning to their purple-haired friend.

"Silver," he answered immediately.

"Why?"

"Because."

"Why?"

"Because."

"Why?"

"Wait, you know the Dexholders too, Paul?" Ash said excitedly. "Who's your favourite?"

"Silver."

"Why?"

"Because."

"But... I don't really like Silver," Ash said pensively. "I saw him battle once, but he looks kinda mean... I like Gold better."

"I don't like Gold," Paul said. "He's dumb."

"No he's not!" Ash protested indignantly. "He's awesome! I like Red first, and then Gold!"

"But Gold's dumb."

"No! Gold is—"

"I KNOW!" May shrieked suddenly, causing everyone to look at her.

"What's wrong?" Drew asked.

"I got a great idea! Remember when Drew said Sapphire looks like me? I looked at her, and she _does_ sorta look like me, and I felt like I was in the TV, and then I thought, I wanna be in the TV! Let's be in TV!"

"How are we gonna come on TV?" Leaf asked.

"We can make our own TV show," May said excitedly, standing up. "And we'll all make our own show, and be famous, and everyone'll think we're cool too!"

"But what kinda show will we make?" Ash asked.

"I don't know," May said. "But let's go! Gary, do you have some place where we can make our show?"

"I think the basement. There's no one in the basement."

"Let's go to the basement!"

* * *

"Wow, there's a lotta stuff down here," Drew commented as he looked at all the boxes stacked against the walls.

Boxes weren't the only occupants of the basement. There were also old cupboards and drawers and tables and chairs. Some things were covered with a thin layer of dust, while others looked like they'd been recently used.

"Yeah. When we don't use something anymore, we just bring it down here," Gary explained.

"We can make our TV show here and use all this stuff!" May exclaimed. "Okay, what kind of show should we make?"

"A cool one!" Ash said excitedly. "I wanna be like Red! I already have a hat and gloves like him."

"Something with a lot of cool people!" Gary put in.

"With lots of funny stuff," Leaf added.

"And smart people," Drew said.

"And strong fighting," Paul said.

"First, we need to make the place look like we're on TV," Leaf said.

"Yeah! We can use the boxes!" Ash exclaimed.

They spent some time rearranging boxes and old chairs (basically anything they could move) to create the surrounding scene. In one of the boxes, they found a pile of old clothes that were slightly shabby but mostly intact. Of course, these made the perfect costumes, despite being too big for them.

Gary picked out a brown coat, as well as a belt that was way too big, but Gary still thought it was like having a pokeball belt. Ash found a black umbrella and a blue t-shirt which he wore over the one he was already wearing. It had half-sleeves, but because of its size, the sleeves covered most of his arms anyways. Drew slipped on a grey and white checkered knitted vest, which did make him feel rather warm, but he felt it suited him. Leaf found a button-up sweater that was her favourite colour—green. Paul put on a baggy black hoodie that seemed to be the only thing that caught his eye. And last but not least, May discovered an old, broken camera.

"Let's start!" May announced, both hands in the air. "I'll do the recording. You guys start making the show!"

* * *

_A Cool TV Show with Lots of Cool People, Funny Stuff, Smart People, and Strong Fighting  
_

_It all started on a stormy, rainy afternoon. Ash-Red was bored. But he was very strong and cool, so he didn't look bored. But he still was.  
_

_"I'm gonna go use my Pokemon to fight strong people!" he decided. And off he went, into the raging rain, his hair (whatever much of it that was sticking out from under his hat) flying in the gales the storm threw at him, his shoes walking steadily, like cool people walked. But he used an umbrella, because he didn't want to get wet._

_"Hello!" he said to someone whose silhouette he saw through the darkness. The other person looked up. It was Gary, another very cool person. But he didn't have an umbrella, so the rain poured down on him, making his spiky hair drip as he continued just standing for no apparent reason. The way cool people did on TV._

_"Hello," Gary greeted in return, smirking. "Don't talk to me again. I'm too cool to talk to you."_

_"I'm cool too, though! Cool people have battles together!"_

_"Cool people don't go around with umbrellas, and they don't ask for a battle. The uncool person does, and then the cool person says yes."_

_"But I'm cool too!"_

_"No you're not, Ash."_

_"My name is Ash-Red!"_

_"Nope!" A girl popped up out of nowhere. "Ash-Red doesn't sound that cool. You should change your name to Red-Ash. Or mix it together and make it Rash!"_

_"Yeah! I'm Rash!"  
_

_For some reason, the girl burst into giggles, clutching her stomach as she laughed. And 'Rash' couldn't fathom why.  
_

_"Who are you, anyways?" Gary asked._

_"My name is Jade Leaves!" she announced. _

_"I thought it was Leaf," said Rash._

_"No, it's Jade Leaves."_

_"Oh."_

_"Anyways, Jade Leaves," said Gary. "Who do you think is cooler. Me? Or him?" He said 'him' as if it disgusted him to say it._

_"Hm, I don't know," Jade Leaves said, shrugging._

_"I know how you could find out," a voice came. "I'm Drew, the smartest person in the world!" Drew arrived, flipping his hair proudly._

_"So how are we gonna find out?" Gary demanded._

_"You two have a Pokemon battle. Whoever wins is the coolest!"  
_

_"Then I'm cooler," Gary said, grinning smugly. "Because I'll win!"_

_"Oh yeah?" Rash pulled out a pokeball. "Then battle me!"_

_"Okay, then!" Gary pulled out a pokeball too._

_"GO!" they both yelled in unison as they unleashed their Pokemon._

_"Mine's Pikachu!" Rash announced. _

_"Then mine's Onix!" Gary said, smirking._

_"Pikachu, Electric Attack!"_

_"There's no such thing as Electric Attack," Drew pointed out._

_"Yes there is," Rash said. "Pikachu always do Electric Attack."_

_"I think you mean Thunderbolt."_

_"Let him do his 'Electric Attack'," Gary said. "It won't do anything to Onix anyways."_

_"Huh? Why?" Rash asked._

_"Because electric-type attacks don't hurt Onix."_

_"Why?"_

_"Because he's a ground-type. Electric can't affect ground."_

_"No fair!"_

_"Too bad!"_

_As Rash didn't know what other non-electric attacks Pikachu could use, he found his Pikachu crushed to the ground fairly quickly.  
_

_"Hah!" Gary gloated. "I beat you, so I'm the strongest and the coolest!"_

_"You're not the strongest." A purple-haired trainer appeared. "I am."_

_"Who are you?" Gary questioned._

_"The name's Paul, and I'm stronger than you."_

_"No you're not!"_

_"Yes I am."_

_"Then prove it! Battle me!"_

_"You're not cool anymore, Gary," Rash said. "You said the uncool person asks for a battle first. You asked Paul for a battle, so that means you're not cool."_

_"Yes I am!" Gary snapped. "If a person who's cool asks for a battle, then they're still cool!"_

_Couldn't argue with that logic._

_"Okay, what Pokemon do you choose?" Gary asked, smirking._

_"I choose Gyarados," Paul said._

_"Then I choose Raichu!" Gary said, grinning victoriously. "Raichu, use Thunder!"_

_"It missed," Paul said simply. "Now Gyarados used Earthquake and Raichu fainted. I win."_

_"What? No!" Gary protested. "Raichu dodged it!"_

_Paul shook his head. "No. He couldn't dodge it."  
_

_"Yes he could!"_

_"No, he couldn't."_

_"Then Gyarados couldn't dodge Thunder!"_

_"Thunder sometimes doesn't hit. So it didn't hit, and Gyarados used Earthquake and Raichu fainted."_

_"That's not fair! Raichu didn't faint, right?" Gary turned to the others with furious eyes._

_"Yes he did," Jade Leaves chirped mischievously. _

_"No! HE. DID. NOT!"_

_"He did so!" Paul was starting to get annoyed to. "I win, so I'm stronger than you!"_

_"And the cool guy always wins, so you're not cool, Gary," Rash reminded him._

_As expected, this only led to more screaming, responded to by Paul's irritated contradicting yells, as well as attempts at reestablishing peace made by Drew, snickers from Jade Leaves, and occasional anti-Gary comments from Rash._

* * *

"What is going on down here?!"

The six friends stopped what they were doing to turn to the voice. Daisy was standing at the top of the basement stairs, looking exasperated.

"We're making a TV show," May explained excitedly. "See? I'm the camera person!" She held up the camera she had uncovered. "I'm doing a very good job," she added, proud that she'd been able to capture all of the drama.

"But what's all the fighting about?"

"Paul's being unfair," Gary said accusingly.

"No, it _was_ fair," Paul claimed, refusing to back down.

"I thought all of that had been a part of the show," Drew muttered to himself, scratching his head.

Daisy ran a hand over her face before letting out a deep breath. "Okay, guys," she said. "You all are making way too much noise. I can hear you all the way upstairs! Now, isn't there anything you six could do quietly?"

"But we were having so much fun," Leaf whined. "Can't we make our TV show?"

Daisy looked like she was about to reconsider, but then her eyes landed on the knocked-over boxes that had fallen as a result of her brother and his friends' playing around.

"Actually, I think it best that you guys do something else. Weren't you all watching TV or something? How about you do that. And... try to tidy up a bit."

Grumbling, they began straightening out the basement the best the six-year-olds could. They put away their costumes as well, because, admittedly, they were becoming somewhat uncomfortable in them, especially because they were too big and they were wearing them over their clothes.

Finally, the disappointed kids went back upstairs and flopped in front of the television while Daisy went back to her room to study. May quickly took the remote, as she remembered it was her turn before they'd gone to play.

"Hey, it's my turn now," Gary said, still in a bit of a sour mood.

"Now, I'm not done."

"Yes you are. We watched that Dexholder show in your turn, so now you have to give it to the next person."

"But Leaf told me to watch that show..."

"Too bad. You have to give it to me now."

"No I don't! I get to choose who goes next! And I choose... Drew!"

"Thank you," Drew said, taking the remote. He smirked as he flipped his hair. "Okay, I want to watch..."

Drew picked a cartoon that they all had to watch for quite some time. The second it ended, Gary demanded for the remote. But usually, Gary was the one who had his way, and being in charge of the remote, something that Gary really wanted, gave Drew a feel of power. And, just to spite him, he handed the device over to Ash, who took it eagerly.

"No fair!" Gary said furiously. "I asked for it first!"

"But it was my choice," Drew said, shrugging. "And I said Ash gets a turn."

Gary faced the black-haired boy. "Give me the remote."

Ash hesitated, but gained courage from Drew's shaking head.

"No. It's my turn."

* * *

"_What is going on_?!"

A very bewildered Daisy arrived at the absolutely chaotic scene. Ash's refusal to forfeit his turn to Gary had resulted with the already moody Gary erupting in fury! Both were in the middle of a serious game of tug-of-war, each attempting to claim power over the remote. Drew ended up slightly regretting his decision as he tried to reason with Gary, but ended up having to yell to be heard over all of their shouts (though he ended up being ignored anyways).

In the meantime, Leaf had decided it was more entertaining to cheer them on rather than watch television, and May had gone into panic mode, running around, shrieking at them to stop as if it would somehow bring peace. And Paul just sat on the sofa, ignoring the whole commotion and staring blankly at the television screen.

"Enough! _Enough_!" Daisy finally succeeded in snatching the remote away from the two.

"Daisy, Ash was—" Gary went into tattletale mode, but his older sister paid him no attention and promptly pulled the plug of the TV so it turned off. She faced the youngsters, struggling to keep herself from blowing up.

"The rain has stopped," she said, keeping her voice steady. "Get your boots and raincoats and go play outside in the backyard. All of you. _Now_."

Somehow, her tone of voice caused everyone to fall silent and quickly and quietly obey. Once they were outside, Daisy sighed, rubbing the bridge of her nose with her thumb and index finger.

"Those kids..." she muttered, heading to her room to study.

* * *

**Hopefully Daisy can get more peace of mind, now that those six are outside. Now she can get to studying. Don't worry, Daisy, I know how you feel.  
**

**Oh, and for those of you who're curious, I purposely made Gary get mixed up on who's Green and who's Blue. The reason for that being in the Japanese version, Green is the guy, and Blue's the girl, while in the English version, it's the other way around. Sometimes people get mixed up with who's who, so I thought it made sense to have Gary reflect that confusion. **

**If you're confused as to why the Japanese and English version names are mixed up, here's a 'brief' history lesson! (You can just skip this part if you want.)**

**The original Pokemon games that came out in Japan were called Pokemon Red and Pokemon Green. So the protagonist's name became 'Red' while his rival's became 'Green'. Later, a better 'updated' version came out called Pokemon Blue. There originally was no female playable character in existence, but in some Pokemon game promoter magazine, there was an unnamed girl character used. Each of the characters (the protagonist, the rival, and the girl) was used to stand beside one of the three starters, so that was probably why they created the girl (to stand beside the third starter Pokemon). This girl was then taken to be used in the Pokemon manga under the name of 'Blue'.**

**Then the games came to other parts of the world, like North America. However, the games that were released were NOT Pokemon Red and Green. Instead, they were Red and Blue, as they released the updated versions rather than the old ones. So it made no sense to call the rival 'Green' when there was no Pokemon Green, and thus, he became 'Blue'. In the manga, for the girl, there was no other colour name left except for 'Green', and so, she became 'Green'.**

**And that's why Green's and Blue's names are switched up depending on which version of manga you read. **

**Anyways, thanks for reading!  
**

**Bye bye for now! Have a great day, and smile all the way! :)**


	56. Sports Day Bets

**Hi, all you amazing readers! **

**Wow, it's been so long since I updated this. When was the last time? I think it's been over a month. The reason for my lack of updating is partly because school likes to steal my free time and partly because a lot of my inspiration is being directed towards the new fanfic I started. I feel kind of guilty for not updating this for so long, but, well, when the inspiration part of my mind wanders elsewhere, I can't really help it. Sorry for taking so long, though.  
**

**All right, chapter time! Today's chapter is the combo of suggestions from _RB123_ and a guest reviewer.  
**

**Disclaimer: I do no own Pokemon in any way, shape or size!**

* * *

**Sports Day Bets**

**Grade Four**

**May (10), Drew (10), Gary (10), Leaf (10), Misty (10), Ash (10), Dawn (9), Paul (10)**

Sports Day always took place at the end of the school year, and this year was no exception. Everyone came to school, feeling competitive with a thirst for victory.

May and her friends always enjoyed taking part in the many sports and activities, but, as usual, it sparked quite the rivalry in their little friend group. The eight of them were standing together, waiting for their gym teacher, Mr. Brawly, to start making teams for the first event—soccer. And, as expected, Gary had made some arrogant remark about how he would leave all of them in the dust, leading to a squabble with a certain green-eyed, brown-haired girl.

"Not a chance," Gary said. "There is no way you can make more goals than me, Leafy!"

"And why is that?" Leaf tossed her head and planted her hands on her hips. "You always think you're better than me at everything, and every time, I beat you."

"Yeah, well, sports are different," Gary said, shrugging. "You can't beat me. You're a girl."

"And what's wrong with that?" Misty interjected hotly. "Girls are just as good—no, even better! Girls are _even better_ than boys at sports!"

"No, they're not," Gary argued arrogantly.

"We'll see about that," Leaf said, eyes narrowed. "How about we turn this into a challenge?"

"Yeah?" Gary smirked, riveted. "What kind of challenge?"

"A bet. If all of us girls play better than you boys, then we win. And if not, you guys do."

"I like the sound of that." Gary's eyes glistened mischievously. "How about we make it more interesting? If we boys win, you girls have to, um… buy us all ice cream for a week!"

"Yeah, I like that idea!" Ash cheered. He, Drew, Paul, May and Dawn had just been watching them bicker without wanting to get involved, but the word 'ice cream' had gotten Ash on board immediately.

Leaf crossed her arms. "Fine," she said with a glare. "And if we win…" She stopped, thinking for a moment and then turning to Misty, May and Dawn. "Any ideas?"

May was about to suggest the boys buying_ them_ ice cream for a week, but Dawn excitedly spoke up first. "I know!" she exclaimed, turning to the boys with an evil glint in her eyes. "If we win, you all have to dress up in pink!"

"Good one, Dawn," Leaf said, smirking.

"Hold on," Paul spoke up suddenly. "I never agreed to this."

"It's a deal," Gary said, shaking Leaf's hand and ignoring Paul.

"I said I don't agree to this," Paul repeated.

"Just go with it," Drew said to him with a shrug. "Chances are, we'll win and won't have to wear pink, if that's what you're afraid of."

Paul scoffed. "I'm not afraid. I just am not a part of this bet."

"Too bad!" Gary said, throwing an arm around his purple-haired friend's shoulders (to Paul's annoyance). "Hey, don't worry about it!"

"Yeah, we'll win for sure!" Ash said, his eyes dreamy. "Week of ice cream, here I come!"

"Keep dreaming, Ash Ketchum," Dawn said confidently. "I have the perfect pink hat for you!"

"All right!" Mr. Brawly said, coming up to them suddenly, oblivious to the eight's bargaining. "Let's see, I still need to divide you guys into teams, right? Hm, Ash and May, you two can be on the red team. Dawn and Gary, the blue team. Drew and Leaf, green team, and Paul and Misty, the yellow team. Okay, then!"

Mr. Brawly headed to the front of all the students and turned to face them. "First, we'll have the green team against the blue team, and the yellow team against the red team. Then, the green team will play against yellow, while the blue will play against red. Finally, the red team will be against green, and the yellow against blue. Whichever team wins the most matches wins. Okay, everyone, divide into your teams!"

"Hey, this is great!" Leaf said to the other seven. "The way the teams are divided up, Ash and May can keep an eye on each other, and Dawn and Gary on each other, and Drew and I, and Misty and Paul. And then, we can report back on how many goals each of us made. If the girls make more goals, we win, but if the boys do, then we don't. And then the winners will get a point. And we can do this all day, and see whoever does better on all the games!"

The others nodded in agreement.

And so, the soccer games began.

Ash played well with May (they were on the same team, after all) but he made sure to take note of her clumsiness and how much she fumbled with the ball, all the while succeeding in making a couple of goals for the team himself. Gary (to the rest of the team's puzzlement) refused to pass the ball to Dawn whenever he should have, and succeeded in scoring some goals himself. On Team Green, Leaf took the liberty to laugh at Drew whenever he struggled to keep up, to the latter's irritation. On the yellow team, though, Misty stayed focused on making as many goals as she could while Paul stood in front of the net as goalie.

In the end, Team Yellow won for winning the most times: once against each of the other teams. The green team came in second since it won once against the red team and once against the blue team, while Team Blue won once against the red team. To Team Red's dismay, they didn't win any of their matches, but they put up a tough game, losing only by one or two goals each time.

"So who played better?" Leaf asked once the eight friends got back together.

"I made a total of four goals in all of the games," Ash said proudly.

"Oh yeah? I made five!" Gary said smugly, causing Ash to scowl.

"I didn't make any," Drew admitted. "Almost, but it got blocked by the goalie every time."

"Aw, too bad," said May, smirking.

"Yeah? Well how many did you make, April?" Drew shot back coolly.

May flushed. "Zero," she mumbled.

"Thought so." Drew flipped his hair.

"It wasn't my fault!" May said defensively. "The ball kept making my feet all tangled up!"

"It's okay, May," Misty assured her. "I made enough goals for the both of us. Six in total."

"All right!" May cheered.

"I only made three," Leaf said.

"I didn't get to make any, because Gary kept hogging the ball!" Dawn said, scowling in her spiky-haired friend's direction.

"Hey, not my fault you were too slow to get to the ball first," Gary said, shrugging.

"What about you, Paul?" Leaf said, and everyone turned to him. He was going to be the tiebreaker.

"None. I was the goalie."

The others groaned.

"So, is it a tie?" Dawn asked uncertainly.

"No," Gary said. "Since Paul was the goalie, we should count how many goals he saved, and that'll be like how many goals he made! How many did you save, Paul?"

"I don't know. A lot."

"Well, you still saved some, so that gives the boys a point!" Gary boasted. "Boys win at soccer!"

"Hey, that's not fair!" Misty protested. "Saving the ball isn't the same as scoring a goal!"

"Fine, then. But he saved a lot, so in the end, it all adds up to be like a few goals, so the boys win anyways!"

"Yeah!" Ash exclaimed. "Ice cream time!"

"Not yet!" Leaf said quickly. "The boys win at soccer, but the girls can win at other sports, right? Sports Day isn't over yet!"

And indeed, it was not.

They all played floor hockey next, and the boys came out on top once again. But for capture the flag, the girls emerged victorious. And they even proved to be superior at dodge ball, thanks to Misty's skill and aim. It was tied: the boys had gained a point for soccer and a point for floor hockey (during which some of them had acted unreasonably rough), but the girls had reached the top in racing and dodge ball. And now, it was time for the tie-breaking final event: the relay race.

"This one's going to be tougher," Gary said, mostly to himself. "But we'll be able to do it all perfectly! Right, guys?"

"Yeah!" Ash cheered. "Victory will be ours! And ice cream too!"

"Don't be so sure," Drew warned, looking at all the things they would have to do. "Misty, Leaf and Dawn are pretty good at this sort of stuff. Not sure about May, though, but three out of four's going to be tough competition."

"Stop being a worrywart," Gary drawled. "We've got this!"

All of the students were divided into six teams, and one from each team was positioned at different obstacles. Each time one of them completed one obstacle, he or she had to hand the team flag to the next team member, who had to complete the next obstacle. The first team to reach the finish line was the winner. May was on Team 1, Dawn and Ash were on Team 2, Gary and Drew were on Team 3, Leaf was on Team 4, Paul on Team 5, and Misty on Team 6.

The competition began.

Gary was the starting member of Team 3. He ran as speedily as he could, arriving at the next obstacle in no time and handing the next person the flag.

On Team 2, Leaf was the second person. She had to run to the next person, but was only allowed to step in the centre of some tires that were laid out as she did. Being as agile as she was, this was no problem at all. Paul had to do the same as Leaf on Team 5, but even though he and Leaf started at about the same time, Leaf managed to pass her flag seconds before him.

May was the third member of Team Three. Her task was to cross some Aipom-bars. At first, everyone expected her to slip and fall, and then have to restart, but surprisingly, her grasp didn't fail even once, and she made it to the other side without problem.

Fourth members had to do the balance beam. Dawn, the fourth member on Team 2, practically ran across the balance beam. Her balance was so incredibly perfect, the task was effortless. Drew, however, who had the same challenge as Dawn, was not as successful. He moved carefully and cautiously on the beam, and once or twice, nearly slipped and fell.

Finally, the fifth member of Team 2, Ash, and the fifth member of Team 6, Misty, retrieved their flags, and their job was to simply sprint across what was like an uneven bridge and head for the finish line. Truth be told, Ash had actually received his flag first, thanks to Dawn's quickness on the balance beam, but he had waited until Misty got hers (to the rest of his team's annoyance) so the two of them could start at the same time and see who was faster.

"You're going to regret waiting for me, Ash Ketchum!" Misty called out to him as the two began.

It became clear that compared to Misty, Ash was finding the bridge a lot more troublesome to cross, and once he did succeed in doing so, Misty had already made it partway to the finish line. Ash ran at his maximum speed, nearly catching up to her. Their friends held their breath in anticipation. The outcome of their bet depended on these two….

Both Ash and Misty were panting, the end within reach, and just when it looked like Ash might catch up, Misty stepped over the finish line, granting her team victory.

"Noooooo!" Gary howled.

"Let's see now," Misty said smugly, walking up to the rest of her friends. "All the girls clearly did better than the boys for the relay race."

"Yup!" Leaf agreed cheerfully. "You guys may have done better at soccer and floor hockey, but we did better at capture the flag, dodge ball, _and_ the relay race. We win the bet!"

And no one could argue that they hadn't.

* * *

They all found themselves at Dawn's house after school, as she had offered to let them borrow her big box of pink dress-up clothes. After all, it had been a part of their bet that the boys would have to dress up in pink if they lost.

"I never agreed to this," Paul protested bitterly.

"But Paul," Ash whined. "We all have to do it, so you do too!"

"No. I'm not wearing _pink_."

"Okay, let's see!" Dawn said brightly, opening her neat, walk-in closet. "The dress-up trunk is over there, so feel free to pick out anything pink and wear it."

"What are we supposed to wear?" Gary said gloomily.

"Don't worry!" May assured them mischievously. "We'll pick for you!"

And that was exactly what they did. Ash ended up wearing a bright pink baseball cap, a light pink sweater, and a pink skirt over his pants. Gary had to slip on a frilly pink dress over his shirt and pants, and Dawn did his hair in multiple Ponyta-tails. As for Drew, he was forced into a pale pink sweater with many little pink flowers on it, and his hair was decorated with multiple pink clips.

The girls admired their work on the boys and then went into a fit of laughs and giggles, clutching their stomachs.

"I'll never be able to look at myself in the mirror again," Ash groaned.

"Goodbye, world of dignity," Drew muttered.

"Okay, okay, you had your fun!" Gary hissed, his face as pink as his dress. "Can we get rid of this dreaded colour now?"

"Well, I gues— WAIT!" Dawn's eyes suddenly landed on Paul accusingly. "_You_ still haven't worn any pink yet!"

"Oh yeah, I forgot!" May said.

"Did you think if you were quiet, we wouldn't notice?" Leaf said, smirking. "Nuh-uh, not a chance!"

"I wasn't a part of this bet," Paul snarled.

"Yes you were, so you have to!" May said. "Come on, what's the fun if you don't agree to the bets you make?"

"I always agree to the bets I make, but not this one because I was never a part of it."

"You were whether you like it or not, so go pink-ify yourself already!" Gary snapped sourly, thinking it unfair that he wasn't doing the same thing as the rest of them.

"Oh, don't worry, Paul!" Dawn assured him cheerfully. "I'll make sure it's nothing_ too_ girly. Come on!"

With that, she dragged him into the walk in closet with her against his will. Everyone waited to see the result, and the minute Paul was shoved out, the girls went into another fit of laughter while the boys looked on with sympathy. Like Dawn had promised, it wasn't like a dress or anything, but he had been made to wear a dark pink hoodie with a large sunhat with three pink flowers. Paul pulled down the tip of his hat to hide his face.

"It goes great with your purple hair!" Leaf choked out through her laughter.

Suddenly, there were a few flashes, and the boys looked up in surprise. Dawn was standing there, holding a camera. "Just for the happy memories," she said innocently.

"WHAT? Pictures weren't a part of the deal!" Gary yelled. "Give me that camera!"

"No!" Dawn shrieked playfully, running out of the room.

"Get back here!" Gary attempted to go after her, but ended up tripped over the hem of his dress. He furiously ripped it off him and chased after her, while the girls hollered in laughter behind him.

* * *

**And that's that! **

**Okay, I have something to tell you. I know you guys like this fanfic—and I love writing it too—but I think I've reached a point where I should decide on when I will mark this as complete. I was never planning to make this an infinitely ongoing fanfic, even though it could very well be. Actually, when I first started this that one summer, I had only planned on make it a summer thing and ending it when school began, but it was just too fun to stop.**

**So I wanted to say that I have decided on when I'm going to officially mark it as complete. And that would be at chapter 101. I already have thought out how I want the last few chapters to be, so those ones aren't going to be based on suggestions. And chapter 100 is going to be more like an epilogue, while 101 isn't even going to be a one-shot; it'll be a poem which I have already written out (I was originally planning to post it as chapter 50, but it'll fit more at the very end). **

**Also, because now I've set when the final chapter would be, I only have a limited number of chapters I can write (though they still are quite a lot) and because of that, I can't promise every suggestion I have received/will receive will be written out, especially since I still have some of my own ideas I want to work on too.**

**So yeah, I thought I'd let you guys know about my plans for this story's future. It'll be kind of sad ending it, as it was the first fanfic I started here and I've been working on it for so long, but the experience has been magnificent! But we're only at chapter 56 right now, so there's still a lot of time before then.  
**

**Anyways, thanks for reading!**

**Bye bye for now! Have a great day, and smile all the way! :)**


	57. Who Stole The Popsicles?

**Hi hi! I have a chapter here for you guys!**

**Today's topic was a suggestion by _aquaruby_**!

**Disclaimer: I do not own Pokemon in any way, shape or size!**

* * *

**Who Stole The Popsicles?  
**

**Kindergarten  
**

**May (6), Leaf (6), Gary (6), Drew (6), Paul (6), Ash (6)**

Normally, the heatwaves didn't arrive until June or July. This year was an exception. It was only the month of May, and the heat was sweltering. The weather forecast reporters were calling it the hottest day ever!

"I'm soooo hot," May moaned.

She and her friends were at Leaf's house. Leaf always had cold treats in her freezer, so they had all come over to play and snack on those. Unfortunately, Leaf's popsicles had all run out, so her father had gone to the store to get a box. But in the meantime, the six six-year-olds were trying to survive the high temperature by sitting in front of an electronic fan.

"Are you sure don't have a better fan?" Drew asked. "It's still so hot."

"I have one upstairs, but it's attached to the ceiling in my mom and dad's room and we're not allowed to go in there," Leaf explained.

"Oh."

"Aw, why don't you have popsicles today, Leaf?" Ash whined. "I want some yummy popsicles!"

"They're all done. We ate them all yesterday."

"Can we go swimming? Gary said, wiping his forehead.

"No, I don't have a swimming pool."

"I'm so hot…." May complained.

"Then let's do something!" Leaf said decidely. "Let's play a game."

"What should we play?" Drew wondered.

"Hide-and-seek," Ash suggested. "We can play hide-and-seek till Leaf's dad comes back."

"Good idea," May said. "Let's all play!"

"Yeah!" Leaf cheered. She turned to Paul, who had been lying on his back silently with his eyes closed. "Wake up, Paul! We're gonna play a game!"

"Mm?" Paul opened an eye.

"We're playing hide-and-seek."

"It's too hot."

"But you have to play," May argued. "We all are. It won't be fun if you don't."

"I don't wanna hide."

"Then you count," Leaf said. "Let's all go and hide! Paul can count!"

They scattered, leaving Paul lying on his back while they went to find hiding spots. After a while of waiting, an annoyed Gary called out. "Paul! You have to find us!"

Paul grumbled but stood up, starting to walk around to locate his friends. He discovered Ash behind a sofa, Drew in a closet, May under a bed, Gary in a different closet and, finally, Leaf squeezed into a tiny cupboard.

"Okay, you found me last, so I have to count!" Leaf announced.

She started counting, and the others (a very begrudging Paul included) hid. But just when she started seeking, her father was heard.

"Kids! I've got the popsicles!"

"Yeah!" Ash cheered loudly from his hiding spot. "I want one!"

"But I'm not done finding you," Leaf whined. "Let's finish the game."

"But I want a popsicle!"

"Let's have them after I find you all. I'm a very good seeker, so it won't be fun if we don't finish. And I found you, Ash."

Leaf loudly announced to everyone hiding that they would have popsicles after finishing the game. Initially, some of her friends were very reluctant to remain hidden but, in the end, they agreed when Leaf added that the one she found last would get to have_ two_ frozen treats.

After a while, the girl discovered Paul, Drew, and May in various places. May had been quite difficult to find because she no doubt wanted the extra popsicle. Gary, on the other hand, was yet to be found. The others began growing bored, and Leaf became frustrated at her failure to locate her friend. Even Ash was getting tired of the game, which he expressed when he returned from a washroom break to find that everyone was _still_ searching for Gary.

"Why don't you give up?" Ash asked. He wanted the game to end quickly so they could get right to the deliciousness that awaited them.

"No!" Leaf said stubbornly. "I can find Gary!" Suddenly, there was a noise coming from the kitchen.

"What was that?" said Drew, becoming alert.

"Maybe it was Gary," Leaf whispered excitedly. "Let's go see!"

They crept toward the sound, holding their breaths, and arrived just in time to see Gary dive under the kitchen table.

"Ha! Found you, found you!" Leaf chanted, pointing at him victoriously. But then she frowned. "But I already checked under this table and you weren't there. Were you moving around? That's not fair!"

"Is too," Gary argued, crawling out from his hiding spot. When he stood up, though, he groaned slightly and clutched his stomach.

"What's wrong?" Drew asked, taking note of his behaviour.

"Nothing," Gary said quickly, slipping his hands into his pockets.

"Do you have a tummy-ache?" May said sympathetically. "I get tummy-aches too sometimes. My mommy says it's sometimes 'cause of the heat."

"Yeah," Gary said. "It's the heat."

"Don't worry!" Ash said cheerfully. "We'll have popsicles, and it'll be all better! Right, Leaf? Come on, let's get the popsicles!"

The six headed over to the freezer where Leaf's father had stored the popsicle box. But once they opened the door, the box fell right out. And… it was empty!

"Where did they go?" May exclaimed in horror. "They're all gone!"

"I want a popsicle!" Ash wailed.

"What are we gonna do? It's too hot!" Drew said anxiously.

"There isn't even an orange one left," Paul noted bitterly.

"It's a mystery!" Leaf proclaimed. "Someone took all the popsicles, and we gotta find out who!"

"But how?" Ash said. "How're we gonna find out who did it?"

"I know how," Leaf said solemnly. She suddenly ran off, leaving the others standing in place in bemusement. She soon returned, this time wearing a brown fedora hat and a beige trench coat (that seemed a smidge too long). She tipped her hat and pulled out a small notepad and a blue crayon from her pocket. The others stared as she drew a picture of the empty box in her notepad

"What are you doing?" May questioned, intrigued.

"Lookin' for clues," Leaf answered.

"That's a cool hat, Leaf," Ash commented.

"Thank you," said Leaf. "But my name is not 'Leaf' right now."

"Huh? What is it, then?" Drew asked.

"It's"—Leaf twirled dramatically—"Detective Grassy."

* * *

**_(Detective Grassy's POV)_  
**

Gary scoffed. "Detective Grassy? You're not a detective!"

"What's a detective?" May asked. I decided to educate my fellow crime-fighter.

"A detective is someone who solves mysteries," I explained. "I can find out who took all the popsicles."

"You can?" Drew marvelled.

"Are you sure?" Paul said doubtfully.

"I don't think you can," Gary said.

It appeared some of my friends were dubious of my abilities. But I could assure them with confidence that I was up to the task. After all, I was Detective Grassy. Besides, I had watched enough episodes of _Blue's Clues_ to know how it worked. Many may not know it, but Blue, the Shinx protagonist, was fairly talented in acquiring the relevant information for uncovering the searched-for answers. Not only that, _Scooby-Doo_ was also particularly informative on the topic of catching culprits. I had learned a lot from that snack-loving Herdier.

"Well, I will solve the mystery and prove you wrong," I declared. "Now, first of all, we need to search for clues. Did anyone notice anything strange around the house during our game?"

"Leaf's acting weird. She's even talking weird," I heard Ash whisper loudly to Drew, who nodded in return.

"She watches a lot of TV," Gary told them.

I irritatedly tapped my handy-dandy notepad with my crayon. Perhaps Detective Grassy's usage of vocabulary differed from Leaf's, but it was beyond my comprehension why they would label such a difference as 'weird'.

"Well," I said, catching their attention. "Answer the question. Did any of you see anything strange?"

Everyone shook their heads.

"Alright, then," I said, scribbling down a frowny-face and flipping the page. "Who was the last one to touch the box before I opened the freezer door?"

They thought for a moment before May suddenly let out a panicky gasp. "Your dad!" she cried out. "Your dad brought the popsicles and ate them all before us!"

"Hm…" I tapped my cheek with my crayon. "Maybe. But I don't think my dad would do that 'cause he brought them for us. Nevertheless, he is now a suspect!" I drew my dad's face on my notebook.

"Or your mom," Drew said logically. "Maybe when we were playing, your mom didn't know they were ours, and came and ate them."

"Hm, you're right. But she wouldn't eat all of them. She always eats only one. But now, she's a suspect too!" My mom's face was soon drawn beside my dad's. "Anything else?"

"May," Paul said, shrugging.

"What?" May turned to him.

"May might have eaten them."

"No!" May said in shock. "I didn't!"

"But you really, really wanted a popsicle," Paul said. "And we found you after a long time. So maybe you ate them when we were looking for you and then you hid so it looked like you were hiding the whole time."

"I didn't!" May protested, turning to me desperately. "I didn't, Leaf!"

"Fear not, my friend," I said. "Detective Grassy will find the culprit, and, if you are what you claim to be, prove your innocence. But in the meantime, I will have to put you down as a suspect."

"What's she saying? I'm confused!" Ash said to Drew in a low tone.

"I don't know," Drew replied.

"She hears people say stuff like that on TV, and sometimes she starts saying that kind of stuff too," Gary informed them.

"Now it's time to look for clues!" I said, ignoring what Gary had said. "Let's go around and see."

We walked around the kitchen, searching for anything that would be a hint for solving the mystery. At first glance, it appeared as if there were nothing out of place, nothing out of the ordinary. But I knew my house well enough to know there was something wrong.

"Ah ha!" I exclaimed, pointing to the sink.

"What?" May asked. "Is it a clue?"

"Yes," I affirmed. "A clue. Right there by the sink."

We all headed over there. Ash frowned. "But there's nothing there. It's just a sink."

"Maybe that's what it appears to you. However, there is one crucial difference. There is water on the counter-top beside it!"

"So?" Drew said, puzzled.

"My mom always keeps the water completely clean and tidy and my dad and I have to too, so someone used the sink and did not clean up! They might have used it to wash their hands of the popsicle juice!"

"But that's not really a clue," Ash said. "Maybe someone's hands got dirty with something else, and they washed them and accidentally dripped water. I do that all the time."

Bingo. My eyes lock onto him immediately. "Well then, Ash," I said. "So were _you_ the one who ate the popsicles?"

"No!" Ash protested. "Why do you think _I_ did it?"

"Well, think about it," I said. "You just admitted that when you wash your hands, you drop water on the counter, so it could have been you."

"But other people drop water too!"

"But you took a washroom break when we were playing," Paul pointed out.

"Exactly!" I said. "Maybe you went and ate the popsicles!"

"No, I really had to go."

"And you really, really wanted a popsicle too, but I found you first, so you knew you wouldn't get an extra."

"But I thought maybe if there were many, many popsicles, I could have two…."

"And you look chubbier than usual. Is it because you ate all those popsicles?"

"I'm chubby?" Ash patted both his cheeks with his hands. He frowned.

"But Ash is always chubby," Drew said.

"I'm always chubby?"

"I know, Drew, but he's even chubbier than usual. It's due to the popsicles!"

"I'm not chubby," Ash said, sulkily. "My mom says it's baby fat."

Gary snorted in laughter. "Ash is a baby! Ash is a baby!" he chanted.

"I'm _not_!"

"But you _are_ a suspect!" I said, nodding my head and drawing Ash's face into my notepad. Once I was done, I looked up again. "Okay, let's see what else."

We walked around the kitchen some more, trying to spot more clues. It was hard to find any, but I decided that the empty popsicle box might have something on it to help us find the answers.

"It has the number six on it," I said. "That means there were six popsicles in it. Who could have eaten six whole popsicles?"

"Ash and May like to eat lots of stuff like that," Gary pointed out.

"But if there were six of us and only six popsicles, then no one could have gotten an extra," Drew said frowning.

"Ah ha!" I turned to my green-haired friend immediately. "Drew might have eaten them!"

"Me?" Drew said in surprise.

"Yeah," Paul said. "That's why he's so quiet."

"Yeah, you're right!" I said. "I've heard that it's always the quiet ones who are the bad guys."

"I'm not a bad guy!" Drew said defensively. "I'm quiet 'cause we have to be serious!"

"But you're a suspect now." I drew Drew's face beside Ash's.

"But Paul's really quiet too," Drew whined.

"But he's helping me," I explained. "He can't be the bad guy if he's helping me."

"Or maybe _you_ ate the popsicles!" Gary said suddenly, pointing at me with accusation in his eyes.

"No, I didn't," I said exasperatedly. "I'm the detective."

"Maybe you're just pretending to be," Paul said.

"Nu-uh!" I said, frowning at Paul. Wasn't he helping me? Why wasn't he helping me now?

"Uh-huh!" Gary countered. "You're just pretending you're the detective so we wouldn't think you ate them!"

"I'm not!"

"Yes you are!"

"No I'm not!"

"But you're still a suspect, so you'll have to draw your face too."

I huffed. I knew I didn't do it. The fact that the detective would be the one to commit the crime was ridiculous. It would be an interesting show to watch but, right now, it wasn't true. Nevertheless, I complied with his wishes and drew my face down, just so he would stop bothering me.

"There, happy?" I said.

"Yup!" He grinned rather triumphantly.

Suddenly, my dad walked into the kitchen and spotted us all. "Hey, you guys done eating the popsicles?" he asked.

"No," May said sadly. "Someone ate all of them."

"All of them?" My dad raised his eyebrows in surprise. "All the popsicles? Who?"

"We don't know," I said. "But I'm going to find out. You mark my word!"

He chuckled. "Of course, Detective Grassy." Yes, he knew exactly who I was at the moment. I had solved many of his mysteries too. Like where the car keys went.

"What are we gonna do now?" Ash said. "I really wanted a popsicle, but the box is all empty."

"Well, lucky for you, I actually bought _two_ boxes."

To our delight, my dad reached into the freezer and pulled out a brand new box from the top drawer. We all cheered excitedly as he opened the box and handed one out to each. Since there were only six, everyone (except my dad) got one.

"I guess you guys will still get popsicles. But really, whoever ate all of them from the first box, don't do that. Eating too much is not good for you, and it's not fair to the others. Well, you kids enjoy and I'll be in my study."

My dad left. I was pretty sure he was definitely not guilty so I took the liberty of crossing him out in my book. He wasn't a suspect anymore.

"It's not fair, though," Drew said. "Whoever ate all the other popsicles is getting an extra."

"Maybe they'll get a tummy ache," I said.

And then, all of a sudden, I knew who was the culprit. I pointed at my spiky-haired friend and yelled, "It was _you_!"

"What?" Gary said quickly. "No, it wasn't!"

"Yes it was! You were the last one we found, and you were hiding in the kitchen, so you had lots of time to eat all of them! And then, you washed your hands and dropped water, and when you going to hide under the table, we came and found you! And you had a tummy-ache, and that was because you ate so many! And why aren't you eating your popsicle now?"

"Because I don't wanna," Gary mumbled. He hadn't even opened the wrapper, and his hand was on his belly, as if thinking about having one more popsicle made him feel queasy.

"You ate all of them, Gary, that's why!" I accused.

"And I saw him eating one too," Paul said nonchalantly, licking his orange-flavoured popsicle.

We all gaped at him. "If you saw him eating them, then why didn't you tell us he did it?" I yelled.

He shrugged.

"Fine!" Gary yelled. "I ate the popsicles! It was just so hot, and I was the last one anyways, and you said the last one would get an extra, so that's why!"

"Gary, how could you?" May cried. Then she went back to licking her strawberry popsicle.

"Hmph! Well, this means you don't get that popsicle you have right now. I'm putting it back in the freezer." I snatched it from his hand and put it back into the freezer's coldness.

"I don't care," said Gary. "I don't want one right now!"

"And I won't let you have any popsicles six times now," I added.

"That's not fair!"

"It's your punishment." I tossed my head up and went back to licking my popsicle.

The culprit had been discovered and brought to justice, all thanks to Detective Grassy!

_**(Detective Grassy out)**_

* * *

**And with that ends the chapter! I hope you all enjoyed!  
**

**Thanks for reading!**

**Bye bye for now! Have a great day and smile the whole way! :)  
**


	58. Returning Things

**Hi, my wonderful readers! Happy holidays to all! **

**Sorry for being so infrequent with my updates. School's been keeping me busy, and especially in December. Although January is going to be even worse, since I have some finals and several very important exams then. Holidays have started for me, and I would love to say that I would be able to write more because of that, but I'm going on vacation, so I probably wouldn't be able to write that much even now. And after I come back, I'll have a lot of studying to do.**

**But moving on, I'm actually not done the chapter I was planning to post. I was wondering what to do when I suddenly came across this chapter that I had written long ago. I think it might have been one of the first chapters I wrote (it was labelled as chapter 13) before starting to focus more on suggestions, thus forgetting about this one. Or maybe I didn't post it because I wasn't satisfied with it. Whatever the reason, since you guys have been waiting so patiently, I think you deserve at least something!  
**

**Happy reading!**

**Disclaimer: I do not own Pokemon in any way, shape or size.**

* * *

**Returning Things**

**Grade Three  
**

**May (8), Drew (8), Gary (8), Paul (8), Ash (8), Misty (8), Dawn (8)**

Recess had nearly ended, and May and her friends were making their way back to class. Among them was Dawn, a new girl that year, whom May had made sure to invite into her little group so she wouldn't feel left out.

"Oooooo! What's that?" Dawn pointed to something shiny and black on one of the benches they were passing by.

May looked in that direction. "They look like glasses."

Dawn hurried over to the spot and picked up the object. They were black, oval sunglasses.

"They're so cute!" Dawn gushed as she put them on.

"Umm, I don't think it's a good idea to just take those," May said nervously. "They might belong to someone."

"Aw, come on! If someone just left them here all alone, it was probably because they didn't want them, so no need to worry!" Dawn pushed the glasses up so that they rested on her head.

"You know, they look like the sunglasses that Zoey girl always wears. Maybe she forgot them here." Misty recognized the accessory, much to Dawn's dismay. That meant she would have to return them instead of keeping them.

"She's in the same class as us, so you could give them back to her during class," Drew suggested reasonably.

"Or, you could just keep them." Gary gave his opinion. "After all, it's finders keepers!"

"But that's not nice!" Ash protested. "She _always_ wears those glasses! She probably misses them."

Dawn considered all of her friends' advice. It was true she wanted to keep them, but it would be best to give them back to Zoey. She, herself, wouldn't like it if someone took her stuff. She decided to do the right thing.

* * *

In class, everyone was seated, waiting for the teacher. Dawn glanced at the orange-haired girl named Zoey. She seemed pretty nice, which was a good sign. Dawn was holding the sunglasses in her desk, and was about to get up and go to her, when a thought made itself present in her mind.

What if Zoey thought she had _stolen_ her sunglasses?

Dawn wasn't so sure about returning them now. Maybe she'll wait until later, and return them with her friends as back up. Yes, that sounded like a smart idea. She stayed seated.

Meanwhile, Misty and May were closely watching Dawn, expecting her to get up at any second. They saw her hesitate before she began facing the front again. They were surprised. Why wasn't she returning the sunglasses? Had she decided to keep them? They didn't get to ask her because the teacher walked in.

* * *

It was after class now, and Dawn was feeling even more nervous than before. The sunglasses in her possession were becoming a big burden. She quickly hid them behind her back as Misty and May came up to her.

"Aren't you going to give those sunglasses back?" Misty questioned.

Dawn felt her throat go dry. A moment ago, her plan was to return the glasses to Zoey with May and Misty for support. But she had only been friends with them for less than a month. She wasn't sure what _they_ would think if she asked them to come with her. What if they made fun of her for being too scared?

"No need to worry! I'll return them!" Dawn answered, making her voice sound cheerful.

"Better hurry up, because Zoey is leaving." Misty pointed at the girl, who was now walking out the door.

"Oh, too bad, I missed her!" Dawn said quickly, feeling somewhat relieved that she now had more time to think of a solution for her dilemma.

Misty raised her eyebrow at Dawn's strange behaviour.

"It's okay. You can return them when she comes back," May suggested.

"Actually, maybe I should put them in the lost and found box in the office," Dawn decided.

"It'll be easier to just give them back yourself," Misty pointed out.

"Yeah, okay…" Dawn struggled to hide the reluctance in her voice.

* * *

The end of the day came by quickly, but, to Dawn, it felt like forever. She _still_ hadn't returned the sunglasses, despite having chances to give them back to their owner multiple times. She also avoided Misty and May, because she knew they would no doubt be curious as to why she still had them with her.

It felt worse when her mother came and picked her up. She felt really bad secretly taking them home. Normally, Dawn would tell her mother all about her problems, but she wasn't completely sure she should tell her that she practically stole something.

"You've been pretty quiet today, Dawn," her mother, Johanna, said to her at dinner. "Did you have a bad day at school?"

"Kind of…" Dawn answered distractedly.

"Do you want to talk about it?" Her mother was very concerned because, usually, Dawn would be going on and on about her day and new friends. Maybe she got into a fight with one of them?

"Not really. Everything's pretty much okay now, so there's no need to worry!" Dawn's voice became falsely cheery and bright. She didn't want to bother her mother about it. She just needed a bit more time to think things through herself.

"When you say 'no need to worry', that's when I worry the most," Johanna muttered to herself, smiling a little. She could see right through her daughter's act and wished she'd let her help. But she didn't press the case. She didn't want to pressure her into lying, and she knew Dawn probably needed some space right now.

* * *

"What to do? What to do?" Dawn asked herself frantically the next morning. She was sitting in her desk in class, and she still hadn't made up her mind. She was glad May and Misty weren't there yet.

"Hello, Dawn," Drew greeted her in a friendly manner as he walked in.

"Hi!" Dawn said in her bubbly way. Drew went to sit in his desk.

Dawn was feeling very stressed. She needed to talk to someone about this. Someone understanding, who would try to help her in any way possible. Unfortunately, she still didn't know many of the kids in her class personally. She looked around for her only options.

May and Misty weren't here yet, so even if she changed her mind about asking them for help, she couldn't.

Ash would be a pretty good choice. While he might not really get why she needed help to return something, he was always happy to lend a hand. Except he wasn't there yet.

Gary was a fun guy sometimes, but he definitely wouldn't help in this situation. He wasn't understanding or sympathetic, and wasn't he the one who suggested that she _keep_ the glasses?

Paul... wait, what was she thinking? There was no way that guy would even bother himself with her problem, so she wasn't going to even _consider_ asking him. Moving on...

Drew. In the short time she had known him, she had come to learn that he was a calm, cool and collected kind of guy. Sure, he teased May sometimes, but other than that, he acted pretty maturely. He wouldn't make fun of her… right? Dawn didn't have any better options at the moment, so she had to go with her only one.

"Um, Drew?" She caught his attention when she walked up to him.

"Yeah?" He went from relaxed to serious when he saw the worried look on her face.

"You know those sunglasses I picked up at recess yesterday? Well, I kinda maybe sorta still have them." She half mumbled the last bit, but Drew heard anyways. He raised an eyebrow at the news, but, thankfully, instead of saying anything, he continued listening.

"So, I, um, need to return them, and…" Dawn fidgeted with her fingers, as she wasn't exactly sure on what she wanted to say. Did she want Drew to return them for her? Or did she want him to give advice?

Drew seemed to understand, though. "If you want, I can return them with you," he offered.

Dawn blinked in surprise. That was easy. He didn't even ask her _why_ she still had them.

She smiled in relief. "Thanks."

Later, when Zoey arrived, Dawn and Drew walked up to her. She seemed a bit confused as to why two people she never socialized with before were suddenly at her desk.

"Hello?" she said questioningly.

"Hi, Zoey," Drew greeted politely. "Dawn found something that might belong to you, so we wanted to give it back."

"Really?" Zoey's gaze turned to Dawn.

"Uh, yeah!" Dawn quickly pulled out the sunglasses.

"You found them! Thanks!" Zoey gladly took them back. "I was looking all over for them. I even checked the lost and found box. I guess I shouldn't leave them lying around again."

"Lying around?" Dawn suddenly realized that Zoey might have put them on the bench on purpose.

"Yeah. You see, I was playing on the Aipom-bars, but my sunglasses kept falling off my head. I put them aside on a bench for that time, but when I went back to get them, they were gone. I thought somebody might have stolen them, or made them fall on the ground," Zoey explained.

"So you _put_ them on the bench? I thought you must have forgotten them there or something." Dawn blushed slightly at her mistake.

"Nah, but it's okay. I should have put them in a better spot. Of course it looked like I had left them behind. Thanks for returning them, though!"

Zoey wasn't really that bad, Dawn decided as she went back to her desk, a heavy burden removed from her shoulders. There really had been no need to worry.

* * *

**So that's that! Hopefully, I'll get to write out the next chapter after I'm back from vacation.  
**

**Thanks for reading!**

**Bye bye for now! Have a great day, and smile all the way! And have a happy holiday! :)  
**


	59. Babysitter Birch

**Hey, everyone! A new chapter hath been posted!  
**

**Wow, it's been so long since I last updated. End of December, right after I posted the last chapter, I left on vacation. And January has just been so exhaustingly busy (school), so I haven't had much fanfiction time lately. But I've finished this chapter, so enjoy! And thanks for being so patient too!**

**Today's topic was inspired by a suggestion from ****_aqua pikachu_****!**

**Disclaimer: I do not own Pokemon in any way, shape or size!**

* * *

**Babysitter Birch  
**

**Grade One  
**

**May (6)**

**Max (3)**

"Are you sure?"

"Yes, Honey, absolutely."

"You wrote everything on the list?"

"Yes, I di—"

"About when dinnertime is?"

"Yes, at—"

"And when to give them their snack?"

"Well, yeah. But—"

"Did you specify when their favourite TV show comes on? What about bedtime? Are you sure you indicated exactly when they're to be put to bed? All the bedtime rituals they go through? Are you sure you mentioned what to do if—"

"Caroline, relax. I'm sure of it. I wrote down everything; they'll be fine."

May watched as her mother bombarded her father with question after question about what he put on 'the list'. May wasn't sure exactly what the list's purpose was, but, according to her mother, it was to tell Professor Birch exactly what to do while her parents were gone.

Both Caroline and Norman had been invited to a big, fancy dinner. May wanted to go too, but she wasn't allowed. It was only for grownups, but May couldn't fathom why she couldn't come too. She wasn't little, like three-year-old Max. She could behave herself. But noooo, she had to stay home with her little brother with her father's friend, Professor Birch, as the babysitter. May didn't feel she needed a babysitter, but she figured it was mostly for Max.

"Caroline, don't worry! Professor Birch is a very close friend of mine, and I'm sure he can do the job perfectly fine," said Norman. He chuckled. "Normally, _I'd_ be the one worrying. You're always so relaxed when it comes to the kids."

"Yes, but we normally don't leave them with a man like Professor Birch! He's so…" Caroline trailed off, but May wasn't sure why. She didn't think Professor Birch was so bad. He was kind of fun, with his adventurous trips into dangerous Pokemon habitats, and the exciting way he drove his SUV. Why was her mother so worried?

"Birch is very close friend of mine, Caroline. I'm sure we can trust him," Norman said reassuringly.

"But what about all the specific things our kids want? If some things aren't done _exactly_ how they like it—"

"That's what the list is for."

Caroline looked like she was going to say something more, but just then, the bell rang.

"That must be him. I'll get it." Norman opened the door, and in walked Professor Birch.

"Hello, Norman!" Birch greeted cheerfully. "Hello, Caroline!"

"Hello," Caroline replied, giving a nervous cough. "Sorry about asking you to babysit on such short notice. Their usual babysitter couldn't come tonight."

"Oh, don't worry about it!" Birch said cheerfully. "The kids and I are going to have a lot of fun!" His eyes landed on May, who was sitting on the steps, watching them. "Hey there, May! You ready for Uncle Birch?"

May didn't say anything. She just waved back.

"Aw, come on! No smile?"

"All right, then. If everything is fine here, let's get going, shall we?" Norman said, smiling at his wife.

"Yes…" Caroline trailed off. "Birch, you sure you're okay with this?"

"Positive!"

"And you have the list?"

"The list?"

"The list that— Norman! Did you give him the list? Where did you put the list?"

"It's on the kitchen counter."

Caroline marched into the kitchen, bringing back a sheet of paper and handing it to the babysitter. "Make sure you follow everything it says! Norman has written it thoroughly, so there shouldn't be any problems."

"Of course, don't worry."

"You're sure everything would be okay?"

"Absolutely."

"And you have our cell numbers?"

"Relax, Caroline, everything's going to be fine. The kids love me!"

"Okay… Oh, and they've already had a snack, so—"

"Come on, Caroline, we're going to be late!" Norman interrupted, hurrying her out the door. "Bye May, Sweetie! Take good care of Max!"

May silently waved at her parents as they walked out of the house.

"And bye, Max!"

Max, who had been preoccupied with a pile of blocks, looked up sharply at the call of his name and watched intently as the door closed behind his parents.

"Well!" Birch clapped his hands together enthusiastically. "What do you kids want to do?"

"Can you give me noodles?" May asked suddenly. "I'm hungry."

"Already?" Birch raised an eyebrow. "But didn't your mother say you already had a snack?"

"But I want noodles."

"I'm, er-hm, not very good at making noodles."

"Mommy already made noodles."

"Oh. Do you want me to just give you those?"

May nodded, getting up and leading Birch to the kitchen. She pointed to the big pot on the stove. Okay, maybe her mother had specifically said those were for dinner and dinner only, but if the babysitter were allowing it, it shouldn't be a problem. Right?

"Okie dokie! Let's see what we've got here."

Soon enough, May found herself slurping noodles from a big bowl while Professor Birch went to see what Max was up to. He'd left the list on the table in front of May, not having even read it yet. May had been learning how to read at school, so she tried to see what was written on it. Unfortunately, her father's handwriting was illegible to her eyes.

"Do you want to watch a movie?"

May looked up to see Professor Birch standing there, a DVD box in his hand.

"Okay," she said. "Don't start until I come. I hafta finish my noodles."

"Why don't you just bring your noodles along?"

"To the sofa room?"

"Yes, why not?"

May excitedly got up from the kitchen table, noodle bowl in hand. Her mother never let her bring food into the family room! But she was a big girl now; she wouldn't spill anything.

She snuggled into the sofa beside her little brother, who, from the looks of it, had been given a lollipop to suck on.

"What movie do you guys want to watch?"

"Tarzan!" May cheered immediately. She loved that movie, how adventurous it was. It took place in such a wonderful jungle, with the Vigoroth and Slaking and Donphan!

"No, Little Mermaid!" Max whined.

May frowned. Max only liked The Little Mermaid because of the songs and colourful water-type Pokemon. But May thought Tarzan was better. It was much more fast-paced and thrilling. "No, Tarzan!"

"Little Mermaid!"

"Tarzan!"

"Mermaid!"

"Hey, kids! _Kids_!" Birch intervened. "How about we watch something everyone would like?"

"Like what?"

"Um, I don't know…" He looked through the selection of movies. "Er, The Pyroar King? How about the Pyroar King?"

"Hm, okay," May said. "But Max can't watch, then."

"I wanna watch!" Max pouted.

"Why can't Max watch? Everyone can watch."

"No. Mommy says Max gets too scared at night."

"No! Max not scared!"

"But The Pyroar King isn't scary."

"But Max gets scared."

"No!"

"Naw, I doubt he'll get scared." Birch ruffled the three-year-old's hair. "He's a tough big boy, right? He doesn't get scared by The Pyroar King!"

* * *

By the end of the movie, Professor Birch was snoring loudly while May had become more interested in the many teeth in his mouth.

"See, Max? See how many teeth he has?" May whispered to her little brother as she pointed into the man's gaping mouth.

"Ew," said Max as he caught a whiff of his breath. May made a face and held her nose.

"Look! See his tongue?"

"Pink!"

Birch suddenly gave a loud snore, startling the two, making them hurriedly jump off the sofa and out of the room. May peeked curiously from the corner of the wall with Max following suit.

"Hm? Wha'?" Birch woke up, groggily rubbing his eyes. He blinked drowsily a couple of times and looked around, trying to remember where he was. His eyes widened.

"Hey, kids?" he called, standing. "Where'd you guys go? May? Max?"

May giggled, said 'sh' to her brother, and slowly crept to the stairs. Max giggled and followed his big sister.

"Come on, guys, where are you?"

"Hurry!" May whispered as the professor began approaching the stairs. The two ran up as fast as they could.

"I hear footsteps! You two upstairs?"

"Hide!" May pulled Max with her into her room's closet.

"Ouch!" Max said loudly as he stepped on something.

"Sh, Max! He'll find us!"

"Found you!" Birch threw the closet doors wide open. His face broke out into a relieved smile when he saw the two were there. "Don't scare me like that! I couldn't tell where you guys were!"

"We were playing hide-and-seek!"

"Yes, but—"

He paused at the sound of a ringing phone. He quickly picked it up and checked the number. "Good thing I found them in time," he muttered as he pressed talk and held the phone to his ear. "Hello?"

"Who is it?" May asked curiously.

"Oh, hello, Norman," Birch said loudly. "Yes, everything is perfectly fine. … Yes, we were playing right now. … What? Dinner?"

"Max hungry," Max said suddenly. Birch frantically made a 'sh' gesture.

"Yes, yes they've had dinner."

"Max hungry!" Max whined louder.

"Yes, that was Max," Birch said. "No, he's not _hungry,_ he just ate. He was saying— What's that? Bedtime? Yes, I'll put them to bed, now that they've eaten and are full. … Yes, I've been checking the list. … Wha'? Caroline wants to talk to May? Erm, all right."

"Mommy wants to talk to me?" May hopped out of the closet and held her hand out, ready to take the phone.

"Hold on one second," Birch said, covering the mouth part of the phone with his hand. "May, please tell your mom I was following the list."

"Okay," May agreed, eagerly reaching for the phone. Once it was in her hands, she starting speaking into it right away. "Hi, Mommy! We're having lotsa fun! We ate noodles, watched a movie, and played hide-and-seek!"

"That's great, Sweetie," her mother said. "And Max's doing all right?"

"Yes, Max is here too. But he's hungry." Birch looked horrified.

"He's hungry? Well didn't he have noodles too?"

"I don't know."

"Did he eat anything at all?"

"I saw him with a lollipop."

"Where did he get a lollipop?"

"I don't know."

"Honey, can you give Professor Birch the phone?"

"Okay." May held the phone out to her babysitter. "She wants to talk to you."

Professor Birch gulped nervously as he took the phone. "Hello?"

May decided she'd lost interest at that point. She wanted to go do something else. She was still feeling a bit full from the noodles from earlier, but maybe get a snack? Like cookies! She loved cookies! She headed for the kitchen to where she knew the cookie jar was located: on the highest shelf of the walk-in pantry.

"Cookie, cookie, cookie," May sang as she pushed her chair into the pantry. She climbed onto it and tried to reach for the cookies. Her fingers could only _just_ touch the jar, but she had to reach some more…

"May? May, where are you?" Professor Birch's voice entered the pantry.

"I'm getting a cookie!" May called back in a sing-song voice.

"But where—? MAY!" The man came running, Max in his arms, when he heard a crash. "May, are you all right?" His eyes widened when he saw a broken cookie jar on the floor.

"It was an accident!" May defended herself immediately, still standing where she was. "I didn't mean too!"

"I-it's okay…" Birch said tiredly. "Stay… stay on the chair while I clean up. Don't want to step on the broken jar, do we?"

It was very boring, watching the man clean up while all she had to do was sit on the chair. May wondered where Max was. Birch had put him somewhere before coming with the dustpan and brush. And, worst of all, May couldn't have any cookies either, since all of them had fallen and broken and gotten mixed up with the broken jar pieces.

Finally, he was done. He sighed, wiping his forehead with the back of his hand. "Okay, May, let's get you some dinner."

"But I'm not hungry," May said. "I already ate noodles."

"Oh, right. Well, you should get ready for bed instead, then."

When May got out of the pantry, she saw Max sitting at the table, messily eating a bowl of noodles. "Max is being messy," May said accusingly, pointing at her little brother.

"Hm? Yes, I'll get right to it… Why don't you go to bed in the meantime, May?"

"By myself?" May frowned slightly.

"You can go yourself, can't you? You're a big girl!" He winked.

May thought for a moment. She _was_ a big girl. But her parents hadn't let her go because they didn't think so. May sadly shook her head.

"What is it?"

"Mommy and Daddy don't think I'm a big girl."

"Huh? Why would you say that?"

"I can't go to the party."

"Yes, well…" Birch sputtered, trying to figure out what to say next. "Well,_ I_ think you're a big girl! And maybe your parents didn't let you come so you could look after Max, because you're his big sister."

"But _you're_ looking after Max."

Professor Birch ran a hand through his hair. "But, well, you can do some things I can't. Like, you showed me where the noodles were and told me when Max was being messy."

"He's still being messy," May informed him, pointing to her brother who had dropped his whole bowl of noodles all over himself and was trying to pick a noodle from his hair.

"No, no, no!" Birch cried, forgetting about the little girl, his attention redirected to the three-year-old.

May stood there, watching as the man panicked as he tried to clean up Max. Then, she slowly walked away, heading off to bed all alone. No one was there to give her her red pajamas (even though she already knew where they were). No one was there to tell her if she brushed her teeth properly. No one was there to make her take a bath. (Actually, May kind of liked that part. Besides, she was clean enough anyways.) And, worst of all, no one was there to tuck her in and read her a bedtime story. She couldn't go to sleep without a bedtime story!

Finally, after a long time, her babysitter walked in bringing along a bathed Max, now dressed in his pajamas.

"Whew," he said as he peeked into May's room. "You okay, May?"

"No. You didn't read me a bedtime story."

"Oh… Okay, I'll get to that. I'll just tuck Max in first, all right?"

"You didn't tuck _me_ in." But Birch was already gone by then. By the time he came back, May had another problem. One concerning food.

"All right!" said Birch, sitting down beside her on her bed. "So how about that bedtime story?"

"I'm hungry."

"Eh, what?"

"I'm hungry now. I wanna eat."

"But I thought you said you weren't hungry because you already had noodles."

"That was a _long_ time ago."

"B-but…"

"I'm hungry. Can I have some more noodles?"

"Well… All right. Come on."

* * *

May finished her noodles slowly and sleepily. Professor Birch was looking pretty drowsy too. May wondered if her parents were sleepy as well. After all, if a grownup like Professor Birch was tired, then her parents were probably tired too, right? Maybe they were going to come home now! Too bad she would have to be in bed before then.

Soon, her noodles were gone, her teeth were brushed (again), and she was back in bed.

"Okay, what story do you want me to read?" Birch asked, scanning her bookshelf.

"Umm…"

She didn't get to decide. Because at that moment, Max could be heard from his room. He was crying.

"Hold on…" Birch said, leaving to go to Max's room.

May stayed in bed and waited. But he didn't come back, and Max could still be heard. Eventually, she decided to investigate. She got up, leaving for Max's room. There, Birch was desperately trying to settle Max down.

"What's wrong Max?" Birch was saying, panicking. "Why are you crying? Please, _please_ calm down!"

"Why is Max crying?" May asked.

"I don't know… The list! I should check the list!" Birch rushed downstairs frantically. May stared after him before going to her brother.

"Max, what are you crying?" she asked.

"Scary Pyroar!"

Well, that explained that. May's mother never let Max watch The Pyroar King because Mufasa's evil brother Scar and the Houndoom who worked for him always gave Max nightmares.

"I'm back!" Birch rushed back through the door with a sheet in his hand. "But the list doesn't say anything, and— Oh, you got Max to stop crying?" Max was no longer bawling, sniffling instead.

"He's scared of the Pyroar and Houndoom," May informed Birch.

"Of the… what?"

"The Pyroar King. He's not allowed to watch it."

"Oh… I guess it's my fault, then…." He scratched his head. "All right, Max, you can go to sleep now. There aren't any Pyroar or Houndoom here!"

Max shook his head, too afraid to close his eyes.

"Come on, Max, there isn't anything to be afraid of!"

Max still refused.

"I know!" May said suddenly. "When I was little, Mommy always used to sing a lullaby so I could go to sleep. I know what lullaby!"

And May sang it. It was a tune she knew off by heart since her mother had sang it to her countless times in the past. A melodic hum, no words, but immeasurable comfort. May felt she sang it just like her mother, especially when Max was lulled to sleep.

May and Birch looked at each other and grinned. They both made a 'sh' sound and slowly crept out of the room.

"Well, May, good thing you were here!" Birch said, relieved. "There is no way I would have been able to handle the situation if it weren't for you."

May beamed as she skipped to bed. "Now, story time!"

Birch laughed and followed after her.

* * *

May was asleep when she heard something downstairs. Her eyes flickered open when she heard her parents' voices conversing with Professor Birch.

"So, how was it?"

"Perfect! I had everything under control! They're asleep now."

"See, Caroline? I told you they'd be fine."

"That's a relief."

"Well, to tell the truth, we did have one tiny problem. But it turned out all right, thanks to May."

And May smiled sleepy as she snuggled back under her blanket.

* * *

**Done! The lullaby part was the suggestion, and this whole chapter was written because of it!**

**This chapter only had May from the main eight. I was trying to see if there was a way I could add in someone else, but I didn't think I should force it. May and Max being the only ones seemed most natural for this one.**

**Anyways, thanks for reading, and I hope you guys enjoyed! **

**Bye bye for now! Have a great day, and smile the whole way! :)**

* * *

**Reply to _Joe_:  
**

**_Joe__: _Hey, Joe! You had a question, so I hope you don't mind if I just reply here, since I can't PM you. You asked about the Sneezy DeeDee reference in 'Tests, Texts, and the Chair'. It should be briefly mentioned during their texting conversation. I think Paul says something like "****_cough- Sneezy-DeeDee -cough"_. If you mean which chapter from this story, it's chapter three: Picture Perfect. As for the poll, it's actually just a way for me to see what the general audience likes, so even if you tell me in a review, of course it counts. Oh, and thanks for your reviews~!  
**


	60. Smell Ya' Later!

**Hello, all you wonderful readers (if anyone is still even reading this)! **

**Wow, it's been so long! With school, exams, preparing for university, and such life stuff, I've been having difficulty finding time to write, but I'm so glad I can finally finish this chapter up and post it. Thanks for waiting so patiently!**

**Today's topic was a result of suggestions from _Pikachu123_ and _aquaruby_!**

**Disclaimer: I do not own Pokemon in any way, shape or size!**

* * *

**Smell Ya' Later!  
**

**Grade One**

**Gary (6), Leaf (6)**

Leaf was Gary's bestest friend in the whole entire world. They'd known each other since forever. Gary couldn't even remember a time before they'd met. They did everything together, whether it was sharing secrets or playing or unleashing their mischievousness or… well, pretty much anything.

But even though they were best friends, they were also rivals. They competed in everything, trying to best the other. Sometimes Gary would come out on top, and sometimes Leaf would, but no matter who the winner was, it was never the end of it. If they lost, they made comebacks, and if they won, they waited for the other's retaliation. It was like a intense, never-ending tennis match.

And it just so happened that today, Leaf had beat Gary at a game of ring-around-the-roses (don't ask how; Gary's grandpa was very puzzled about it too, since ring-around-the-roses wasn't supposed to be competitive), and that had put Gary in a slightly more vengeful mood than usual, especially since he couldn't think of another challenge at the moment.

_Leaf: 1, Gary: 0_

"Whatcha wanna do?" Leaf said, hopping onto a large rock. The two of them were strolling through Professor Oak's ranch. After not having spotted any new additions to the many Pokemon there, they were rapidly descending into boredom.

"I don't know," Gary said, frowning, his brain trying to come up with a plot to bring her down. Maybe hide-and-seek? Nah, Leaf was a good hider.

"Think of something," said Leaf, oblivious to his current conniving mind.

"I _am_."

"Think harder."

"Why don't _you_ think of something?"

Leaf held her head up smugly. "Because _I'm_ the queen of ring-around-the-roses. And _you're not_."

Gary scowled. Her arrogance was wounding his normally well-groomed ego, and his thirst for payback had never been so great. He almost wanted to do something _mean_. It had just been so annoying when she had suddenly declared herself the winner and labelled him the loser. Especially since he hadn't had a good morning to begin with: they had run out of his favourite cereal, and Daisy's friend, who had stayed overnight, had called him a baby. Which he wasn't. He was six, for crying out loud!

"What's that?" Leaf asked suddenly, pointing to a rustling bush.

"A Pokemon?" Gary slowly stepped closer, but when he saw the Pokemon's tail poke out, he froze. He knew what it was. His grandpa had told him all about it, and warned him not to get too close, in case he made it nervous. And when that Pokemon got nervous…

"Look! I can see its tail!" Leaf exclaimed, pointing at it. "Looks furry!"

A cruel smirk wiggled onto Gary's lips. Leaf didn't know what this Pokemon could do, now, did she?

"I know what it is," Gary said, casually backing away so his friend didn't notice he was trying to avoid it. "It's a Stunky! I think you'll think it's very cute, 'cause it's so furry. Like a Zigzagoon."

"Aw, I wanna go see! But it might be dangerous…."

"Then go see it. Don't worry, Stunky don't hurt you." Perhaps they didn't bite or scratch often, but what they did instead was just as bad.

Leaf giggled and skipped closer to the bush. Gary quickly went to hide behind a tree where he could watch from a safe distance.

"Come here, Stunky! My name is Leaf, and I wanna be your friend!" she chirped, bending down to peek in the bush. The leaves rustled and the Pokemon's head poked out.

"There you are! I see you!" As Leaf reached out to pet it, it suddenly jumped out of the shrubbery, standing in a peculiar stance with its tail raised.

"You wanna play? Okay, I'm coming!" But the minute the Stunky felt the approaching girl was too close, it turned around.

And what happened next left the poor Leaf in a stunned stupor.

Gary had to hold back from laughing so he didn't inhale the horrendous stench the escaping Stunky had released upon his friend. He covered his nose and mouth, his laughter coming out in snorts.

Leaf stood there, blinking, trying to register what had just happened. And then the whiff struck her nostrils, and she pinched her nose, her eyes starting to water. "Ew!" she choked out.

Her head turned to where Gary was consumed by silent triumph, and her eyes dawned with understanding. "Gary Oak, you did it on purpose!" she screamed through tears of anger and humiliation.

"I'm gonna call Gramps!" Gary called back to her, his grin widening. "Don't move, or everything's gonna get stinky like you!"

"Gary Oak—!"

"Smell ya' later, Leafy!" With a mocking wave, he disappeared, leaving the furious girl standing by herself, surrounded by nothing but the stench of her foolishness.

_Gary: 1, Leaf: 1_

* * *

**The next day…**

Gary was still feeling quite victorious, even though a whole day had passed. Leaf hadn't been able to retaliate the entire time because she had to stay home until she smelled normal again. Sure, some of the stink had caught onto Gary too, since he'd been nearby, but a Stunky's stench only lingered for about twenty-four hours, and that priceless look on Leaf's face had been worth it.

And since over twenty-four hours had swum by, both Leaf and Gary had finally gone back to smelling normal, although Leaf's pride had smarted greatly from the horrible experience. And Gary knew she would be quick to make a comeback any time soon.

The two were back on the ranch, Leaf insisting that they hang out away from the forest where a certain Pokemon dwelled. She was still sour, and her usual chatter had quieted considerably. Gary knew plots of revenge were probably swarming through her mind.

"How're ya _smelling_?" Gary said, snickering.

Leaf frowned and said nothing, hopping onto a fallen log that stuck over the edge of a ledge. It was about five feet off the ground, but she fearlessly balanced on it, her arms stretched out, moving away from the ledge and closer and closer to the end.

Gary watched, and he thought she was just playing around, until she turned around to face him and threw both arms in the air. "I win!"

"What?" Gary stared at her incredulously. "At what?"

"At balancing on this log," she said firmly. "If you did it, you'd fall. So I win!"

"No you don't." Gary folded his arms. "I wasn't playing."

"Because you can't."

"I can!"

"No, you can't."

"How do you know? I haven't even tried it!"

"Then try it," she challenged, gesturing to the log.

Gary considered it. Leaf was smaller, more agile than him. Her tiny shoes could easily keep their footing, and her lightness made sure the log didn't lean too much with her weight. Gary, on the other hand, had bigger feet, and a slightly bigger built than her. His shoes were a lot thicker than hers too, so…

"You can't do it," Leaf claimed when he didn't immediately accept.

"I can too!" Gary, forgetting all the factors that worked against him, climbed onto the log. He stretched his arms out beside him, trying to keep balance as he walked forward. He nearly fell a few times, but managed to walk halfway to where Leaf was.

Then, rather smug that he had succeeded in showing off his capability, he threw his arms up in victory. "Hah! I—"

He didn't get to finish. He had thrown his arms up to fast, too high, relaxed too soon. Before he knew it, he had lost balance and fallen on the soft grass below. His shoulder hit a bump in the dirt, making Gary certain it would bruise, and his ankle felt like it had been twisted. Not severely, but a little.

And Leaf? She looked down at him, saw the stunned look on his face, and _laughed_.

It stung. Gary couldn't help but feel hurt by her reaction. What if he had really gotten injured? Did she even care? He was her friend, and she, so engrossed in her thirst for victory, didn't even show any concern. She just laughed at his failure. They always celebrated their wins against each other, but a fall like that could have done some real damage!

It was a humiliating, stinging loss.

_Leaf: 2, Gary: 1_

Gary didn't move, lying motionless on the grass. He hated the fact that he could feel a bruise forming, and it _hurt_, and still, nobody was paying his pains any attention. Normally, Daisy or his grandpa would have reacted in some worried way, checking to see if he were okay.

But Leaf just laughed. She wasn't worried at all. He _wanted_ her to worry. Wanted to _make_ her worry.

And suddenly, he knew exactly how to do that.

Leaf came down from the log and bent over her fallen friend, grinning. "You fell, Gary! You couldn't do it!"

Gary stared at her blankly. Then, he asked, "Who are you?"

"Me? I'm the winner!" Leaf said brightly, laughing as she skipped a little away.

She turned, expecting Gary to get up, scowl, argue, _something_, but he didn't do any of those. Instead, he sat up, watching her in a confused, clueless way. Her smile faltered for a second, but she kept it plastered on her face. Why was Gary looking at her like that? Why wasn't he reacting?

"That means you lose, Gary!" she said, hoping to drive him into a tantrum.

"My name is… Gary?" Gary said with a puzzled look on his face. "But… who are _you_?"

"Gary, stop pretending!"

Gary was pleased to hear the slight annoyance in her voice, but he used all his strength to prevent his lips from curling into a smile.

"Pretending what? Who are you? Where am I?"

"You're at Professor Oak's ranch."

"Where?"

"Gary, stop it! Stop pretending! I'm gonna tell on you!"

"Tell who?"

"Your grandpa! I'm gonna tell him you're bugging me!"

Gary felt the urge to protest, but he knew the joke would be over if he did. So, instead, he shrugged nonchalantly. "Tell him if you want. I don't know who he is."

Just as he'd hoped, Leaf didn't run off to go tattle. She stood there, panicky and fearful. Her eyes grew wide as she appeared to realize something. "Gary! Gary, did you hit your head when you fell? Does it hurt?"

Gary thought for a moment. It didn't hurt that much, but something told him the answer he should give was yes. He looked at his friend seriously, pointing to his mess of spiky hair and nodding his head.

Leaf gasp loudly, covering her mouth with both her hands. "Daddy was watching a show like this," she whispered. "Someone hurt his head, and then he couldn't remember anything. He had am-nee-za."

This was actually a thing? Gary had had no idea. But it appeared to be working, so he didn't stop.

"Yes," Gary said sadly. "I have em-nee-sa. I can't remember anything."

"Gary," Leaf said, running up to him, in complete panic. "Don't you remember me? I'm Leaf, your best friend!"

The boy shook his head. "I don't even remember who _I_ am."

"Then I'm gonna hafta make you remember!" Leaf said bravely, trying to stop herself from trembling.

She grabbed her friend's hand and began leading him somewhere. For a moment, Gary was hesitant, not sure where she was taking him, but she had only brought him to the water's edge. She pointed out to the Pokemon swimming in it.

"You see those Pokemon?" she asked. "You could always tell me what their names are. Do you remember them? Any of them?"

It was an easy question. Gary knew all of them off by heart. But he couldn't show her he remembered.

"No," he said.

"Not even one of them?" Leaf asked hopefully.

"Nope."

"I'll give you a hint. That one's Poliwag. And that one's its evolved form. It's Poli…" She turned to him, hoping he'd finish the name.

"Um…" Gary tapped his chin. "Is it… Poliwag too?"

"It's Poliwhirl," she said, horrified. "Poliwhirl. You know it, Gary, you know it!"

But Gary just stared at her blankly. She blinked as if trying to push back tears before starting to drag him somewhere again. They arrived at a field where Rapidash were galloping over the grass, their majestic manes of fire flying in the wind.

"You know those," Leaf said, pointing at them. "We always see them."

"I don't remember."

"You _do_!"

"No, I don't."

She was blinking again, and Gary, with a slight discomfort, noted how her eyes were starting to glisten behind her eyelids. But she wasn't letting any tears fall. Instead, her lip quivering, she dragged him into the forest. She seemed to look around for something, before finally pointing at a distant bush.

"There," she said, pointing to a Pokemon eating from it.

Gary held his breath._ Stunky._

"Remember yesterday?" Leaf looked him in the face. "Remember? You tricked me, and I got smelly. Remember, you said 'smell ya later' instead of 'see ya later'. It was funny, remember? You thought it was very funny!"

Gary couldn't help but admire how daringly close she had come to the Stunky after her horrible experience with it last time. Suddenly, he was grateful for having a friend who would courageously do something like this, all just to make him remember.

"You remember, don't you?" Leaf whispered after he didn't respond right away.

He wondered for a moment if he should start pretending his memories were coming back, but instead, he looked at her sadly and shook his head. Again, he found her yanking him out of the forest by his hand. She stopped in the middle of a field, desperately looking around, trying to find something, _anything_, to make him remember. Admittedly, it was starting to make Gary feel guilty….

"Gary." She turned to him, looking him in the face. "Don't you remember anything? Anything at all?"

"No," he replied slowly, an unease slipping into his stomach.

"Anything?" She stepped forward, and gave him a hug. "Not even your grandpa, Professor Oak? Not even Daisy, your sister? Not even the friends you have at school?" She looked up, tears streaming down her face. "Not even me, Leaf, your best friend?"

Gary hadn't wanted this, not to go this far. He had wanted to make her worry, feel sorry for laughing at him, for making him feel like she didn't care for him. But here, it was obvious she cared for him, and he knew he was going too far now. He hadn't want her to upset her like this. He hadn't wanted her to _cry_.

All the weight from the feeling of guilt and shame and sorrow and loss began piling down on him, and he felt a lump climbing up his throat. He blinked, forcing back his own tears. Why was _he_ about to cry? It wasn't like he'd _actually_ forgotten anything. It wasn't like he'd _actually_ forgotten about the most precious people in his life. He hadn't _actually_ lost anything.

And yet, this was starting to be too much for him.

"Don't you…" Leaf said in a soft voice. "Don't you even remember who you are?"

It _was_ too much. He needed to stop this. He needed to stop this now. Slowly, he hugged her back. "Yes, I do," he said quietly.

Her eyes widened, shining with tears and hope. He leaned close to whisper something in her ear.

"I'm the winner."

And then he pulled away and _ran_, laughing until tears came, yelling, "Smell ya' later, Leafy!"

Leaf didn't chase after him, or get angry, or call him, or anything. She just stood there, her face tear-stained and shocked.

And Gary ran. He didn't run because he thought Leaf was going to be furious, but because he needed to get away from all that guilt of making his friend cry. He wasn't laughing because he thought his trick had been funny, but because he was relieved. Relieved he could stop pretending, relieved he hadn't actually lost anything so important as his memories.

Forget his score against Leaf! He had his grandpa, his sister, his friends at school, everything. And, of course, Leaf too.

And all that, as far as he was convinced, was worth an infinite number of points.

* * *

**Done! Whew, I managed to finish! And this was chapter sixty, so what was it I had said? I was going to do a total of a hundred chapters, plus a poem? That means about forty more prompts to go!  
**

**Again, guys, sorry for taking so long. I want to try writing more, but with university starting soon, I can't guarantee it. BUT! I do no plan on abandoning this midway! I will try to carry on until it is complete!**

**Bye bye for now! Have a great day, and smile all the way! :)**


	61. Crazy for Ketchup

**Hey, guys! It's been a long time, hasn't it? University's keeping me busy! I made a little note about it on my profile, so you can check it out if you want. Basically, I'm just really busy these days, with so little time to write out these chapters. **

**But you guys probably want to head right into reading, don't you? I won't hold you back any longer! Enjoy!  
**

**Today's topic was suggested by _IcyRhapsody_!**

**Disclaimer: I do not own Pokemon in any way, shape or size!**

* * *

**Crazy for Ketchup **

**Grade Two  
**

**Ash (7), Gary (7), Leaf (7)  
**

"Pichu! Hey, Pichu! Where are you?" Ash yelled.

No response. He frowned. He strolled deeper into the forest, meandering amongst the trees and shrubbery, swinging his arms as he did. The apple in his hand nearly flew out of his fist, and he stilled his arms, in case he accidentally lost his grip and sent the fruit flying. Couldn't have that. Then he wouldn't have a treat for Pichu.

"Pichu!" he called again.

He searched behind a few bushes where he sometimes found the little Pokemon snacking on berries. No luck. He sighed, walking farther. There was no danger of getting lost; he'd been here countless times before, on Professor Oak's ranch. Especially in this forest. This was where Pichu lived, a buddy he'd made quite some time before. Sure, sometimes Pichu 'greeted' him with an unpleasant electric shock, but he'd discovered a certain fruit the tiny mouse Pokemon couldn't resist.

And that very fruit was in his possession right now. Maybe Pichu needed a little motivation to come out of hiding….

"Hey, Pichu! Guess what I have?"

He waited, a triumphant grin on his face as the leaves of a tree he was standing next to started rustling.

"Pichupi." A small, yellow rodent hurried down the tree trunk, stopping at his feet. It looked up at him expectantly, its eyes fixated on the apple in his hand.

"Hey, Pichu! Nice seeing you again," Ash said, squatting down. "Look what I have for you!"

In an instant, the apple was in Pichu's tiny paws, juice dribbling down as nibbled its way to the core.

"You like it?" Ash said, sitting in the grass. "Man, I wish I'd brought an apple for myself too. But this was the last one."

Suddenly, Pichu stopped. It stared at the apple for a moment before abruptly dropping it to the ground.

"What's wrong? You full?"

"Pi pichu." It pointed at the apple. At picked it up to examine it. From the looks of it, a lot of it was rotting from the inside.

"Aw! I'm going to have to throw this away…." Or give it to Professor Oak. The scientist knew which of the Pokemon on his ranch didn't mind eating fruit that had gone slightly bad. But Ash knew who _did_ mind: Pichu.

"Chuuu," Pichu whined.

"Sorry," Ash apologized, standing up. "I know! I'll bring you _two_ next time! But I'm gonna hafta wait until my mom buys some more."

"Pi chuuuu!" Pichu crossed its arms and turned away, sticking its nose up in the air.

"Aw, come on, Pichu! Don't be like that!"

"Chu!" Pichu ran off, darting up a tree and sitting on a branch, glaring down at Ash with an expression clearly indicative of a grudge.

"Pichu!" Ash called up. But when it made no move to return, he sighed, the guilt slowly welling up in him. His eyes brightened as he thought of an idea. "Hey, wait here! I'll go check one more time, just in case!"

He ran back, not just out of the woods, but all the way to a house. Not his own, but Gary's. He rang the bell, and, huffing and puffing, waited for someone to answer. Finally, an older girl opened up and peered down at him. "Ash?"

"Daisy," he said through gasps.

"Sorry, Gary isn't here right now," she said. "He and Leaf went off to the park or something."

"Yeah, I know."

"Oh? So what's up?"

"Can I borrow your fridge?"

Daisy raised her eyebrows all the way up to her hairline. "Huh?"

"I need an apple. It's an emergency! Pichu might never talk to me again if I don't get it an apple!"

"Oh." Daisy smiled. She knew all about Pichu and Ash from her grandpa, who was surprised that the usually unfriendly Pichu had found a friend in Ash. "I don't think it will never talk to you again, but if you want an apple, go right ahead."

"Thanks!" Ash ran in, straight to the kitchen. He opened the refrigerator, pulling open one of the drawers. There were quite a few apples to choose from! Ash hurriedly grabbed at a bright red one and ran out the same way he'd come in, yelling, "Thanks, Daisy!" behind him. Daisy waved after him, wondering just where he got all that energy from.

Soon, Ash was back on Professor Oak's ranch, slowing down to a walk as he entered the forest.

"Pichu!" he called out when he arrived at the tree the little Pokemon was perched on. "Pichu, guess what I have for you!" He grinned gleefully, holding out the fruit. "A nice, juicy—"

He stopped mid-sentence, really seeing what he was holding. It was red, it was round, but it was _not_ an apple. Nope, definitely not an apple.

It was a tomato.

"Pi?" Pichu had come down from the tree and was now at his feet.

"Uh…" Well. This certainly wasn't a nice position to be in. Pichu was looking forward to an apple; a tomato, however, was not an apple. If Ash had to admit it was a false alarm, maybe Pichu would be so disappointed, it would never ever forgive him!

"Um…" Ash hesitantly crouched down, trying to think of some way to fix the situation. "Um… You know, Pichu, I think you're an awesome Pokemon. Totally cool. And I wanted to get you an awesome treat too. So… well, I didn't get an apple, but this thing is super-good! You _have_ to try it. I really love it!" He held out the tomato to the little Pokemon.

Pichu stared at the tomato dubiously, taking a moment to give it a sniff. It tilted its ear curiously, puzzled by the new scent. Tomatoes didn't grow in the forest. Finally, it took it from Ash's hand. It didn't start eating immediately, giving Ash an unsure glance. Finally, it bit into it.

Its ears perked up.

Before Ash knew it, Pichu was in the process of speed-snacking, tomato juice dribbling down its chin.

"You like it?" Ash said, grinning broadly. Although the most dominant emotion was probably relief.

Pichu was too engrossed in eating to answer.

* * *

A few days later, Ash was back at the ranch, this time accompanied by Gary and Leaf. Leaf was happily swinging a basket in her hand while Gary was managing a folded picnic mat. Ash was bringing along a single apple.

"Ash, your turn to hold the tablecloth," Gary said, shoving the mat at his friend.

"But I have to hold Pichu's apple," Ash whined.

"I'll hold that. It's not fair that you have to hold the easy thing!"

They made the swap, and finally, Leaf skipped to a spot next to the forest. "Here!" she declared. "We'll have our picnic here!"

They settled down, Gary and Ash laying out the picnic mat and Leaf emptying the basket. She handed everyone cups and plates, and pulled out a box of cupcakes, a jug of orange juice, a pack of chips, a tray of French fries, and a bottle of ketchup.

"Wow," Ash murmured, his stomach grumbling. "Can we start eating right now? I can give Pichu its apple later."

"Yeah, I'm starving," Gary chimed in.

Leaf looked at them thoughtfully for a minute, probably wondering why they were asking _her_. Maybe it was because she'd brought the basket, so she had power over all the food that had been inside.

"Um…" she said, tapping her chin. "You can start eating… _now_!" They began quickly piling up their plates and got started on the snacks.

"Hey, where did Pichu's apple go?" Ash said, frowning. "I gave it to you, Gary."

"I don't know," said the latter, munching on some chips. "I think I dropped it when we were putting down the mat."

"But I needed it!"

"There it is!" Leaf said, pointing into the forest. A Rattata was scurrying into the bushes with a large, red fruit held between its teeth.

"Rattata, come back!" Ash called after it. "That's not yours."

"It's too late," said Leaf. "Its gone."

Ash was about to get up to go look for it when he noticed something else. Gary was eating the French fries. A lot of them.

"Hey, save some for me," Ash said, reaching for some himself.

"I'm gonna eat however many I want!"

"Yes, Ash, you better hurry up!" Leaf giggled as she squirted some ketchup into her plate to go with her fries. "They're gonna be all done if you don't hurry!"

On a nearby tree, a certain yellow Pokemon was watching the trio from a high branch. It had seem the Rattata steal the apple, but there was something else of more interest at the moment. On the picnic mat was a bottle filled with something red with a picture of a tomato on it. Pichu could remember the tomato from a while back. There was no way the contents of the bottle could be a tomato, but the picture had made Pichu very curious.

Slowly, when it was sure the seven-year-olds weren't looking, it headed down the tree and got as close to the picnic as it could. Then, like lightning, it snatched the bottle and ran off. It could hear Ash yelling something after it (caught red-handed—literally!) but it didn't stop until it was a safe distance away in the forest.

When Pichu was sure no one was around, it opened the lid, and was surprised to find only a tiny hole. There was no way a tomato could fit in there. Tilting its ear curiously, it tried to reach into the bottle with its finger. No luck in getting a tomato. Only something red on its paw. Pichu licked it away, but froze mid-lick. Its ears perked up.

Yup, definitely no actual tomato in there. Instead, there was something even better….

* * *

"Pichu! Hey, Pichu! We need the ketchup!" Ash called, searching through the forest. The other two had sent him to go find his little friend. They were staying with the food to guard it from other Pokemon thieves. At least, that was what they'd told him.

Finally, he located the tiny mouse Pokemon, comfortably ensconced atop a tree branch, squirted ketchup onto its tongue, relishing the flavour.

"Hey, Pichu!" Ash called up. "Can we have that back?"

Pichu looked down for just long enough to say, "Pi!" in refusal before going back to treating its taste buds.

* * *

The next morning, while out feeding the Pokemon, Professor Oak discovered an empty ketchup bottle in the middle of the forest.

* * *

**And that's that! The story behind Pichu's love for ketchup!**

**Hm, I haven't written about the whole group for a while, have I? I had a chapter about May and Max, last chapter was about Gary and Leaf, and this chapter was about Ash…. I really miss writing about the others, though. Maybe next chapter, I'll try to include everyone!**

**Bye bye for now! Have a great day, and smile all the way! :)**


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